Torment
by Tasaika
Summary: Cagalli takes on her first job independently and things couldn't have gone more wrong. She finds herself in the middle of the desert taken hostage. After witnessing the death of her long time friend she tries her best to survive. AxC! COMPLETED
1. Chapter 1

So as promised here's the prologue chapter of my knew fic. This will be rather short once again so probably not over 10 chapters, still in planning for the last few so it's subject to change. I hope you all enjoy, thank you in advance!

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><p>Torment<p>

Prologue Chapter Zero

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><p>Cloudless blue sky radiated above on the cool spring day as a small compact car sped silently through the landscape. Short blonde hair whipped back and fourth in the harsh the winds as a women gazed out of the window. She let out a loud sigh, as she brushed the stray strands of hair from her vision.<p>

"Worried about your father, or your first solo meeting" came the deep familiar voice. He was her bodyguard ever since her father had taken her under his wing which had been more then a decade now. The woman clicked her tongue in disapproval, almost saying 'as if'. She knew she'd be able to pull in off with flying colours, but the worry laid with her father. Originally she was to be assisting him on the meeting himself but he'd fallen ill and was now hospitalized, leaving it for her to deal with. Not that she minded, but it always worried her whenever her father was ill, especially at his age.

Her father was great political figure, one of the most highly respected. She was happy when he decided to pass down his legacy to her, showing and teaching her everything he could for when he'd retire. As much as she knew he was in the best possible hands, it still bugged her. Of course she'd never admitted it out loud, she had such a hard exterior to the public eye that it was now a habit not too show weakness. Although those close to her knew the compassion was there.

"How long until the plane leaves" she said, drawing the attention back to the work on hand. The women looked out the vehicles window once again as the massive buildings came into view on the horizon, it was amazing how quiet it was when compared to the world which seemed to be falling into utter chaos. Tensions in Saudi Arabia was rising and there were small bands of Taliban moving about causing small mayhems. Although they caused nothing serious they still kept the country on edge. The looming threat had forced the government to request for assistance, which is how the task had now landed on her lap. The outside air felt so refreshing compared to being cooped up in an office all day.

"It leaves at 14:00, can we drop the formalities it's only me" he said calmly as he glanced at the blonde out of the corner of his eyes, making sure he kept an eye on the road. Another sigh, was heard as she tilted her head back to look up at the ceiling of the car. She hoped he understood that she was in a terrible mood and simply didn't feel like talking. Luckily isn't wasn't too much longer until they reached the hanger."Stubborn as always" he sighed as she kept silent.

XXX

The briefcase hit the floor with a loud thud as the blonde tossed it on the floor as she flopped down in the closest chair. She took a quick glance at her watch, only 20 minutes till they were in the air. They were the first ones on the plane, even before the crew itself. The plane itself was small and meant to be flown privately. Heavy footsteps were heard approaching and she immediately straightened her posture in her chair. She watched as two bulky men entered which she guessed to be pilots judging by the uniform.

"Good Afternoon Lady Cagalli. I'm Victor Leonov and this is Alex Dino and today we'll be your pilots" one of them said in a thick Russian accent. Immediately the blonde got to her feet and extended a hand, giving each of the men a brisk handshake.

"No need for for the formalities gentleman" she greeted, giving everything she could muster for a small smile. The other pilot had a large pair of glasses on, making him look increasingly suspicious.

"We'll be taking off as soon as possible" said the other pilot. The blonde watched him carefully, not trusting what was behind the sunglasses. She found it odd that he'd decided to leave them on while in the aircraft. It was typical of her to be so attentive of every small little detail, most people weren't trustworthy these days she found. Then again it was silly to be paranoid.

"Thank you" the blonde said, once again taking her seat. The eight hour flight would be well appreciated break for her, work seemed endless right now. That meant she'd be landing in the early morning there, having to head straight into work. She heard the engine roar to life as the small aircraft lurched forward. She settled into her seat slowly thinking over the parts of her presentation. She could only vaguely remember looking out the window as her mind drifted into void space.

XXX

Her consciousness came in blazingly fast. She immediately looked out the window, everything an undefinable blur in the blackness. She instantly felt something was wrong. The light hum of the plane engine could be heard with the occasional rumble as it hit the random patches of turbulence. She quickly glanced down at the watch on her hand, immediately sighing. The watch was stuck on 4pm which couldn't possibly be accurate.

"What's wrong?" came the familiar deep voice, a hint of grogginess present.

"Shouldn't we have landed by now?" the blonde said as rubbed her temples. Maybe she was just overacting, but such a feeling was never a good sign. As if on cue the plane went into a light downward incline to contradict.

"I think we will be now" he said smugly, stretching back into his seat. The blonde sighed in annoyance, she really didn't like being wrong and it seemed so unlike her to act such flimsy feelings. Now the feelings subsided for the most part only further agitating her with there falsifiability. She exhaled loudly as she stared out the black window, hoping that her father would be back on his feet soon. There would be nothing better then to wrap up her work soon as possible so she could be home by her fathers side. She still owed him so much. Her thoughts were interrupted as the plane shook violently as it scuffed across the runway. Outside the window it was still dark, but the sun could be seen melting ever so slowly into the sky on the horizon. She felt so at peace as the plane slowed to a stop, it was nice to be back on solid ground again. A loud sigh of relief followed as she stood up to stretch, feeling much for energized. The nagging feeling was slowly returning, becoming increasingly more persistent with each second that passed.

A sudden loud pop echoed in the small cabin. The noise stunned the blonde in her place, almost as if an electric current has hit her. It took her a long moment as she slowly processed what was happening, there was a gun. She whipped around to stare at the front of the cabin to see the Russian pilot holding a small handgun. A thud beside her shifted her attention again as she looked over at her bodyguard. He laid curled up on the floor. Blood. It was everywhere, and the blonde once again found herself unable to move, unable to say anything. Her heart beat rapidly against her rib cage, as her mind connected the many dots in front of her.

"Kisaka!" Cagalli shouted, finally finding her voice. She was too late though, the other pilot had already made his way over to her. In one swift punched she too crumpled to the floor, stunned. She found the wind completely knocked out of her and it was impossible to breathe. She laid on the floor looking across into the eyes of the fallen bodyguard. Just what was happening she thought as her mind faded into the darkness.

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><p>There we go for the small intro! I know its short but its just a prologue, the further chapters will be longer. Please reviewcritique it should you have any questions/problems. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you in the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

Here's another chapter, another short one, but I'll make it up by quicker updates. Hope you enjoy!

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><p>Torment<p>

Chapter One

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><p>Cagalli came to ever so slowly, blobs of light becoming increasingly more detailed. She could hear her heart began to rattle across her chest as realization of the situation settled in. Her memory vividly flashed back to the few moments before blacking out, the lifeless eyes staring back at her. A sudden rattle brought her to the present as she found herself staring up at tan metallic ceiling. Everything was spinning in her vision as she shook back and fourth, making her sick to her stomach. Another loud thump caused her roll across the floor. She was in a large vehicle that seemed to be barrelling down an off-road judging by the sheer number of bumps. She tried to catch herself from rolling but found herself to unable to, both her hands and legs being securely bounded together. She could hear faint voices over vehicles rumbling. She tried to discern the language but found herself unable to. She closed her eye's to help calm the dizzying feeling, also allowing her to think through her options. Hopefully she'd be able to keep her emotions under control enough to find a way out of the situation.<p>

There was a loud sigh as the blonde tried to wriggle her way out of the bindings. She guessed that she was probably in the back of a jeep, an old one at that judging by the amount of rust. They hit another hard bump and the blonde jerked forward, hitting her head rather hard against the corner of the steel bench. A loud cursing followed as the blonde's head screamed in pain, an instant headache. She heard a loud clack as plastic separation window was slammed open. The blonde cursed again as she saw a blurry figure appear in the small window before quickly disappearing once again. Between the dizziness from rolling around and now the head splitting pain made it near impossible to string together half a thought. She had drawn attention to herself, which couldn't possibly be making things any better either. A warm liquid could be felt dripping from her forehead, blood. Great, and open wound to add to the list, most likely to become infected by the rusted metal. Another bumped rocked the vehicle as the blonde tried her best keep herself anchored. Although that too failed as she felt her pants get caught on a sharp corner, slicing though the thin fabric along with the skin. Searing, burning pain now engulfed her leg as she continue to rock back and fourth in the speeding vehicle.

At this rate she'd be dead on arrival from blood loss from being tossed around like a rag doll. An instant relief fell over her as she felt the vehicle slow down into a complete stop. By now her breathing was heavy and ragged, trying desperately to fill her lungs with the oxygen they needed, never being enough. She heard the two doors slam shut one after another followed by a long pause. A sudden brightness blinded the blonde as the door back of the jeep got wrenched open. She tried to squint through light to make out the figures but found nothing but big undefinable blobs. A giant claw of a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her from the vehicle.

"Walk!" came the course command. Although when her feet hit the ground, her legs immediately crumbled beneath her, unable to find the strength to stand themselves. She hit the ground with a soft thud, hardly managing to hang on to the slim remainders of her senses. Unintelligibly voices where heard above her. It took her everything she had to try to understand what they were saying.

"Alles wie geplant ablaufen wird" she heard one them say. The language was still one she didn't know but the voice did sound familiar, although the language was different from the one she'd heard before. A few moments later she was pulled clear off the ground by her bindings, almost effortlessly as she swayed ever so slightly above the ground. She felt so weak in the hold, unable to move or even attempt to struggle free. The constant swaying made her dizziness almost unbearable when coupled with the shear amount of pain she was in. She once again found her consciousness fading so slowly, a cold numbness encroaching over her body. Her eye's slowly closed until the darkness consumed everything.

XXX

Amber eyes blinked slowly as her senses came too. They were much sharper this time as she looked around at her surroundings. She was in a small hut of a prison, complete with a dirt covered floor and void of any furniture. There was a light glow to the room as parchment paper covered the only window. She pushed herself upright off the floor, surprised that her bindings were now gone. Her hand slowly felt her forehead where she had hit it previously. There were several small bumps of stitches which was rather shocking to her. Whoever had went through the trouble of kidnapping her had needed her alive. As unpleasant as it sounded that could at least grant her some peace of mind at the thought of being spared from death. She sighed as she checked her knee as well, the same being done to it as her forehead. At least she would be safe for now she comforted herself with, so much for making a quick return home. Curiosity dawned on her as she wondered why they'd take her of all people. She didn't have any power, merely an assistant for her father which she could made zero sense of.

The air in the small room was becoming increasingly more stuffy as humidity set in. Wherever she was, it was hot. She leaned back against the wall opposite the door upon hearing distant footsteps, a defensive gesture. She sighed as she heard them retreat, slowly thinking through everything that happened. The blonde tried her best to avoid the questionable fate of her bodyguard, the haunting memory of his lifeless eyes was still so clear in her mind. She felt her world shrinking, both figuratively and literally. She only had a small circle of people she could trust and now she'd lost one. Not only that but she'd been placed in a small eight by eight box of a room, unable to leave. The feeling silently brooded and grew, slowly consuming her as tears built in the corner of her eyes. There was a deep inhale as she tried to squish the feelings. It wouldn't be wise to fall apart now.

Hours passed painfully slow as the blonde found herself with yet another blinding headache. Her body craving for water as the constant heat and humidity was unrelenting. Even now in the darkness of night the air continued to scorch her insides. She found herself with so many unanswered questions. Did anyone realized her disappearance? Just how long many days was it? Where was she? It was incredibly draining just to be in this heat, let alone beginning to worry. Once again she could feel the brewing tiredness as her mind beginning to drift, both physical and mental exhaustion setting in. She wouldn't be able to stay awake much longer. No longer able to fight the tiredness, she allowed herself too slowly dissolve in to darkness.

XXX

The blonde sighed as she looked down at her watch.

"There both late again" Cagalli said as she glanced over at her bodyguard who stood actively by her side.

"You should be happy, we're here to celebrate" he said, gesture to the restaurant around them. Although that was too be expected of the blonde, always impatient and strikingly blunt. She merely rolled her eyes as she folded her arms over she chest, impatiently tapping her foot.

"Cagalli" came a nearby familiar voice. She instantly turned around to see who it was. Quickly getting to her feet so she could great him appropriately, giving a quick hug.

"Hello Kira" she said stepping back to survey him. She hadn't seen him for well over a year after he left enlisted in the military. Aside from the a bit of scruffiness he looked in good health she concluded mentally.

"How're doing sis" he said as he took a seat at the table. Loud chatter played in the background as the many guests left and came.

"Same old" she said, taking a quick sip of water from her glass.

"I heard you started to train under Dad" he said with a smile, watching the blonde humorously.

"Mhn" Cagalli nodded as she looked over her shoulder towards the door, waiting expectantly.

"You know he's probably stuck in a meeting" Kira said as he slouched into his chair.

"Sit up" she snapped noticing the public display of laziness, ignoring his comment. Her brother was always a bit of slacker although it wasn't necessarily a bad trait for him, it just bugged the blonde. Even though they were twins most people would never guess it. Cagalli was a kept to herself, cut throat politician and Kira was the heart on his sleeve, caring militant wanting to help everyone. Even in appearance they were quiet different. She had blonde hair and amber coloured eyes while he was a brunette with plum coloured eyes. The only similarity they shared physically was the slim, well disciplined physique. Aside from that they were otherwise completely unalike. The sudden movement from Cagalli startled the brunette as she stood up.

"Uzumi!" she called as she waved to the approaching man. Kira noticed the growing smile on the blonde's face and couldn't help but mirror it himself. It was nice to see the blonde become more open, he'd never remember seeing her so act outwardly happy in public before.

"Father" he said, standing to extended a hand for a brisk handshake.

"Kira, my boy!" he boomed, yet another bright smile adding to the shared happiness.

XXX

The blonde stared boredly at the ceiling as the short memory played over in her mind. A warm comforting feeling washed over her as she laid on the dust covered ground. In that moment the thirst and hunger disappeared as she recalled the event. It was funny how far it seemed away it seemed now. She'd always enjoyed her own company and now she wished for nothing more then to be back home surrounded by family. The room was now glowing a deep orange, probably sunrise if she had to guess. It was aggravating being locked up in the room. She figured they would have at least made some form of demands by now. A loud growl was heard as her stomach demanded to be satisfied. She looked at the door begrudgingly wishing the damn thing to just combust so she could escape. It startle her when the door busted open making a loud crack as it hit the wall behind it. The blonde glared through the new flood of light as a large silhouette of a man stood in the doorway. Cagalli cursed for making such an silly wish, she would of rather assimilated into nothing to avoid confrontation.

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><p>Another fun chapter too write, got done a lot faster then I thought it would be, hence such a quick update. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading! Seeya next time!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

New chap! Sorry for the delay, please enjoy :D Reuploaded because apparently I didn't proofread, sorry!

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><p>Torment<p>

Chapter Two

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><p>The blonde braced herself as the figure closed the distance between them in two strides. She didn't so much as flinch as she glared at the figure now standing in front of her. A hand grabbed her just above the elbow, yanking her to her feet. Cagalli tried to shake her arm free but found the grip like a cast iron shackle, unbudging. Was this really necessary, she could walk on her own she thought as she was pulled forward. She tried once again to free the limb but when didn't work she found herself curling her fist and throwing her entire weight behind it. It collided against the mans jaw, landing a bit higher then what she was aiming for. The man didn't so much as bat an eye or even flinched from the impact.<p>

"I can walk myself" Cagalli hissed with all the venom she could muster. The figure pause for a brief moment as he thought through what was said. Cagalli looked back into the eyes, finding nothing but a void darkness. There was such a lifelessness in them the blonde couldn't help but think how familiar it was. Such darkness sent an icy chill down her spine.

"If you run, I will take off your legs" he said, almost challenging the blonde. She didn't doubt the seriousness in his words, they'd already repaired her after mangling her on the journey here. Although it wasn't her intention in the first place, it would be silly to go out of her way to agitate the kidnappers knowing full well it couldn't possibly make things any better. Her heart beat furiously in her chest, trying desperately to contain the growing fear. As much as she could keep her outward behaviour in check, inside the inability to control the situation was great deal. Any number or things could happen, not particularly leading to her uncertain death but various things could go wrong.

There was a loud smash that snapped the blonde from her thoughts. She looked at figure that was standing in the doorway who had now slammed his fist into the wall beside him. The impact was strong enough to crack the plaster, sending many tiny pieces crackling to the ground. He jerked his head towards the doorway, indicating for her to get moving. His glare clashed with her own for a brief moment as they sized each other up. She recognised the man instantly, recalling the second pilot. Alex Dino. The blonde took a slow step, summing up all the confidence she could. Cagalli followed him down the narrow corridor, everything was so understated it was impossible get any details. The whole place was a mess of sand colored hallways, probably a precaution. If she had to guess this wasn't the first time they'd kidnapped someone.

She looked at the back of the man in front of her, his medium length hair was now pulled back, and the sunglasses abandoned. His hair was dark, almost black with a blue under tone to it. Dark tanned skin was proof they were in a hot climate area. The blonde mindlessly continued too follow, taking in anything little detail she could, which was not much. A flickering light bulb shifted her attention once again, the building she was in was old and run down. She exhaled loudly as they came to a stop in front of a door, just what was behind here. Maybe some of her questions would be answered, but that was wishful thinking.

"In" came another demand as he opened the door. Almost immediately after entering room the door slammed shut behind her. She instantly felt cool air hit her, an instant refresher. She took a glance at the room, it was furnished unlike her room, and it had a box air-conditioning that sat on the sill of window off to the side. Even looking outside the window, everything was still the same tan, sandy colour like the walls. The floor had a large rug placed over them, but it was apparent that they were just there to cover the dirt floors.

"Cagalli Yula Attha" came a deep voice from across the room.

"Correct" she said, choosing her words very carefully. Saying less would probably keep her under the radar, enough to keep her out of trouble she hoped.

"You don't have any questions?" he said as his eye's followed the blonde's every movement. The man in front of her was a platinum blonde, tanned like the blue haired man as well. There was a large and what looked to be recent scar starting from his right eye and extending over to his ear. His expression was not the least bit friendly and it reeked of cockiness and smugness. He sat behind a desk with nothing but a phone and a small laptop.

"I wasn't expecting on having them answered" Cagalli said, almost matching his amount of confidence. There was another pause as they continually sized each other up.

"You will co-operate" he said causally, waiting for an ounce of disagreement. The blonde smirked at the statement. What was she going to do, wage a one man army against however God knew how many of them they had hidden.

"I'm not an idiot" she said, stating the obvious.

"We all know that, your quite the politician. I wouldn't expect nothing anything less of someone studying under Uzumi" he said, still intently watching the blonde. Cagalli felt her eye twitch, it bugged her whenever people addressed her father by his first name.

"So it's about politics" the blonde said, suddenly feeling disinterested in the conversation. When were politics never not involved in anything.

"That is correct" the platinum haired man said curtly. "You don't need to know more then that, you're merely a pawn in it all. Although I'll make some things clear right now. If you try to run, we will bring you back. If you try to meet your demise yourself, Doc out there will drag you back. Do not underestimate us. You will fill your roll in this" Cagalli tilted her head, again with the obvious.

"Is that everything?" the blonde asked boredly. The sudden slam startled the blonde as the man dropped his fist on the desk.

"Yzak" came the voice of the blue haired man, the noise causing him to poke his head in the doorway to make sure everything was okay.

"Out" came the heated retort. Cagalli exhaled loudly as she thought slowly, maybe she'd overstepped her boundaries in purposely aggravating her captures.

"I apologise" she said, hoping she didn't agitate him too much. It was so easy to sink into her regular anti-social behavior.

"Be aware, we'll be shifting bases from this shit hole" he said. "Soon as the air space settles a bit more" the blonde didn't dare say a thing. The amount of information that he'd just let slip was sure to be quite the mistake. They had eye's on military movements, which was quite startling fact. The amount of money required to monitor such things would be grand. Just how big of an organization was this.

"You will not be a problem, you will play your roll and you will do as I say" the platinum said loudly, back to glaring at the blonde. Cagalli didn't say anything, she would simply and abide by what was said for now. "Out" She went back to the door, having it swing open just as she extended an hand to open it herself.

"Halten Sie ein Auge auf ihr" came Yzaks voice from behind her.

"Sie wird nicht ein problem sein" was the response as Alex Dino showed up on the other side of the doorway.

"Für sie, ich hoffe, es wird nicht" The blonde suddenly realized the language, it was German. She watched the blue-haired man immediately frowned at the response before stepping the the side for her to pass. Although it was odd, she couldn't recall any crime organizations that originated from that area. She recalled the twists and turns that would return her to the her box of a room. The blue haired man following closely behind. It would be nice to be able to retreat into the nothingness the room gave her.

Upon the door slamming shut the blonde dropped to the ground, finding herself trembling uncontrollably. She was an ant in a large scale of a mess. Whoever had her, had giant pool of resources and power. The ability to be able monitor airspace was an incredible feet. Most governments couldn't cover an absolute area, merely zones of interest. Even the extreme range of precautions was frighteningly covered well. What would be so bad that would enable someone to suicide it. Just what were they planning.

A large growl from her stomach brought her from her quickly unravelling thoughts. She was helpless, and she had no control over the smallest of detail for herself. It had been so many years since she could remember feeling so useless. Her mind drifted to the distant memory...

XXX

"Kira! be quiet or we're going to get caught" came the hushed critique of the small blonde as she crouched behind the dumpster.

"I don't want to do this" came the immediate whine, as he too joined her in hiding.

"You said you were hungry didn't you" she snapped.

"Can we go home, we can get food there" he said as he grabbed the blonde's arm.

"We have no home, now shhhhh" the blonde said as she jumped forward to catch the door swinging shut. "Now come" They entered the building, the blonde leading the charge.

"Cagalli!" came another whine. There was a loud clang as the brunette toppled over several metal trays.

"Run!" the blonde said, seeing a shadow move a short distance away. The two kids scurried back out the way they came, running full blitz out the back ally. Cagalli continued to run across the street leaving Kira in her dust. As she turned around she saw him hesitate between running through the cars. He made it halfway across when a car veered off and struck him. The sickening thud made the blonde heart's stop as she watched her brother topple over. She ran over to his side immediately noticing the growing crimson pool around him.

"Kira!" she said, trying her best to get the attention. He was unresponsive, sending the blonde further into her frenzy. She didn't know what to do. He was the only thing she had and there wasn't anything she could do for him. She could hardly feed themselves, and now he was dying in her arms. What could she do. They were two kids living off of small steals and whatever shelter they could find. They had no parents and no money. They took care of themselves, it was always better that way. Foster homes never worked out well. The helplessness she found herself in was dizzying. She just wanted to save her little brother.

XXX

The memory sat there for the longest time, dragging back every feeling that occurred at the moment in her life. The independence she always clung to was slowly disappearing. She once again found herself so vulnerable it was sickening. The feelings were truly overwhelming to the point she could puke, empty stomach or not. A loud sigh filled the empty hollows of her room, she was so scared of the uncertainties, the unknown. How she hoped she'd be home soon.

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><p>There's another chapter for you all to (hopefully) enjoy. Feel free to critque! Have a good day and see ya soon.<p> 


	4. Chapter 4

Hi, I'll start off by apologising for the lateness, it's been over a week. I had midterms and my roommate went home for a week and I'm still job hunting and what not, all in all nothing going to well. So it's time to get back to drowning my sorrows in writing. Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy!

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><p>Torment<p>

Chapter Three

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><p>Cagalli sat bolt upright as she woke up, immediately squinting her eyes from the brightness of the room. She once again found herself in a different environment as she surveyed the room around her. The room was much larger now with few furnishings. She rubbed her temples, already feeling the brewing headache in the midst. All the sleep was surely getting to her. She inhaled deeply trying to numb the pain but found a irritating burning sensation in her nose as she did so. She sighed as she felt around the tenderness on her nose, a chloroform burn. It certainly made sense as to how she didn't wake up once in transport here. A small shift in movement made the blonde jump as she looked to the source. She glared as her eyes fell onto the blue-haired man who sat on a cot opposite to hers reading some ratty journal. He was brandishing a nice shiner from their previous scuffle. She had a babysitter now how cute. She thought as she looked around to see what other details she may have missed.<p>

The place was just as run down as the previous room, but offered two small cots in a much more open space. The room also had a large metal gated window and two dangling bulbs that offered some light. On the far side of the room then was door way with no door that led to a smaller room, maybe a bathroom she'd guess. She was happy to see her day bag on the end of her bed, who knew how many days she'd be in these clothes now. There was no sign of her briefcase, not surprising. It was probably ripped apart for any information possible, although the joke was really on them. She had a photographic memory that was spot on with deadly precision, most of the papers were merely old and out of date articles.

She sighed as her stomach rumbled once again. There was still no food, and she couldn't bring herself to ask. Another loud grumble, so persistent she thought. A small crackle was heard as a bag landed on her lap. Looking over the packaging she deciphered the arabic writing in seconds, dried apricots. She glared back over at the man sitting to the side, already emersed back in his book. In the end food was food and she wasn't going to start being picky about where it came from.

She tore into the bag immediately and started eating. As much as she hated to admit, this was probably the best tasting fruit she'd have in her life, processed or not. It was disappointing when the bag was empty and she was now craving for water. Lucky for her she'd always carried a few bottles of water with her just in case. She hoped they were still there. Snatching the bag from the end of the bed she ripped it apart in a second, instant relief hitting her as she pulled the two bottles from her bag. She finished the first one in one go, enjoying every single drop as it quenched her parched throat. She flopped back on the cot in contentment, well as much contentment one could be her situation. She sighed as she glanced over at the man across from her. Such a contradiction to be a doctor under such circumstances.

The blonde took another big breathe feeling her heart becoming increasing racy. It was odd, she wasn't panicked or anything but it was becoming more and more annoying by the second. She held up a hand above her, watching it intently. A slight tremble shook down her whole arm. That couldn't possibly be a good sign, the blonde thought as she grabbed the hand with the other, trying to made the trembling stop. Cagalli sat up right once again, swinging her legs over the bed in the process. She frowned as a pain shot up her leg as it hit the floor. It didn't shock her that it was the leg that got cut up in the back of the jeep. She touched the area where it'd been stitched, feeling a sharp tenderness. If she had to guess it was -

"it's infected" came the disinterested voice a short distance away. Again with the obvious the blonde thought as she rolled her eyes. It wasn't surprising in the least that it'd come to this, through the lack of food and water it was prone to happen. She watched the man make his way across the room, knocking twice on the door. Seconds later the door opened and two men appeared. After some quick chatter was exchanged the blue-man exited the room, leaving the remaining two staying in the room. Both of them were dressed head to toe with ski masks covering the bot half of there face. The choice of clothing seemed silly in such a hot climate. Large utility belts sat on their wastes almost looking too big for them to be lugging around.

She watched them talk back and fourth, one laughing while the other one smirked. It gave her chills as they looked at her like a piece of meat, realization hitting her all too fast. A lone unprotected female hostage that had no where to run. In an instant one of the men shoved the other one forward. Cagalli got to her feet immediately, attempting to brace herself for whatever was coming. Although that failed when her leg gave out under her, sending her crashing to the dirt floor. Before she could even push herself back up the man was already on top of her, brandishing a shiny knife in one hand. The other made his way over, helping to hold down her shoulders. She tried to squirm free but found a massive wall of frailness in the way. There was various ripping noises as he shredded through the thin fabrics, exposing her. The blonde could feel the cold blade nick and slice through the layers of skin as he savagely tore through everything is his path. Raw adrenaline coursed through her as she tried to figure a way out of the situation. It was infuriating to be so defenceless and helpless. Continuousness blanks fired as she came up empty handed on any ideas to get out of the predicament. She cringed at the thought of what was to come next.

In an instant one of the assailants was picked clean off his feet. The others grip disappeared soon after as various angry voices yelled back and fourth above her. The blonde slowly pulled herself back together as she processed what was going on. She looked up to see the blue haired man have one of the attackers picked clean off the ground, an arm twisted behind his back. There was a loud crack followed by a scream of agonizing pain. She watch the man fall to the ground writhing in pain, most likely a dislocated shoulder, maybe a broken bone or two.

"You might want to have that checked by the doctor" came the snide remark. Cagalli pushed herself up right, trying to keep the tattered remains of her clothing together as she did so. Arguing continued above her, but she couldn't be bothered to listen. Inside her brain was still in a full panic mode. Furious was the one word that summed it all up to her and she'd be damned if they'd get away with it.

"You don't interfere with my job" came the overly loud voice of blue haired man, taking a threatening step forward.

"Who died and made you boss, small fry" equally getting in the others face. Alex Dino took another step forward, reaching to grab his collar. He was shocked when the blonde beat him too it albeit on wobbly legs, delivering one swift punch to him without hesitation. The man collapsed to the floor, stunned at what had just happened. The blonde fell to floor shortly after, feeling much better about her actions.

"Out..now!" was the next demand he said as he stepped to the side to allow them to pass. Within seconds the two of them scurried out of the room, leaving an eerie silence to blanket the room. Cagalli pushed herself so that she had her back against the cot, reaching for the small day bag. She pulled it in to her lap, using it as a shield to cover her exposed body. Her chest still heaving as the adrenalin slowly faded, trying ever so hard to calm down. The shallow wounds had almost stopped bleeding by now, a few of them still searing in pain with each little movement. She tilted her head back to looked at the ceiling trying to focus her eye's, a light-heartedness becoming increasingly annoying. She sat there for a long time trying to calm herself when a hovering hand entered her field of vision.

"Take these" came a now much quieter voice. The blonde glared at the man, she didn't want to deal with anyone right now. The hand was unmoving and after a while she sighed at the persistence.

"and if I say no"

"Then I'll take off the leg" Cagalli frowned at the response finding herself with little choice in anything. She held her hand out for the pills, the glare unrelenting as he dropped them on her palm. She swallowed them in seconds, opening her mouth for proof so he'd leave her alone. Although he didn't particularly care as he just averted eye contact. She was happy when he went back to his cot without a word. What a contradiction to everything thing he was the blonde thought as she watched him pick up his journal.

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><p>Once again, so sorry for the late update :X Hope you enjoyed another chapter should be out rather soon! Thank you<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

Hi! Another chapter to make up for my previous semi-late one. Hope you enjoy, this one gets rather sad.

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><p>Torment<p>

Chapter Four

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><p>Cagalli sighed as she glanced at the blue haired man out of the corner of her eyes. The lack of privacy was really becoming annoying over the last few days. She couldn't do a damn thing without being in a constant line of sight, including even using the washroom. The little hole in the wall that was considered the washroom was far from functional. Even the shower only consisted of a single pipe from the ceiling that drained into a hole on the ground. The man could pretend all he wanted that he was disinterested and reading his book but she doubted he could be that inept at his job.<p>

The last few days had been quiet, with minimal words ever exchanged. Nobody never left nor entered the room which she didn't mind at all. She didn't want another incident like before. Inside the blonde was becoming increasingly more impatient at the situation, just how many more days would she holed up in the middle of no where. The window offered a great view of nothing but dirt and sand, really leaving her nothing to do but wade through her memories day in and out.

She cringed when she heard a loud crash a short distance away, probably in another room. Whatever organization had her were really rowdy. They didn't care for anything, not even fellow comrades. They had about as much respect for one another as they did her, constantly picking ego fights and beating one another to a pulp. So the occasional loud shout and crashing wasn't too surprising. Although it was enough give a small startle to the blonde, after all anything could happen in her situation as she had found. When it happened again she noticed the bluenette put down his book , turning to watch the door intently as if someone would burst in any second. A few minutes passed and he once again resumed his reading. Not even seconds later the lights flickered briefly before dying out. Something definitely wasn't right.

The room was semi dark now, with an orange glow coming from the one window as the sun set on the horizon. There was a light scuffle as the blue hair man got to his feet, making his way closer to the door. His actions were humorous to the blonde, he didn't carry a weapon so any intruder would have to brawl it out with him. Cagalli didn't dare make a movement, she didn't want to get mixed in whatever was going down. Even if it would be a good time to make a run for it, she'd be in the middle of no where without any food or water. She sighed at thought, it was really tempting.

A loud crack was heard, like wood splintering. It was close, if she didn't know better it was probably the door. She watched a small canister glided across the floor next, her heart heart immediately leaped into her chest. It almost reminded her of a grenade, but instead it started spewing an opaque gas. There was a loud curse from the blue hair man as he quickly disappeared within the fumes. Cagalli continued to stay perfectly still until she was startled by the sound of an electric zap. A loud thud followed shortly after. She guessed that Dino was now subdued by whoever the intruders were. Multiple sets of footsteps were heard in the room, some of them approaching her ever so slowly. Her heart continued to beat away, unsure if they were friendly or merely a rival counterpart of the organization. The smoke had filled the room by now making it impossible to see anything. She felt a hand grab her shoulder and immediately curled her fists to fight off the intruder.

"Wait!" came the muffled voice. She didn't stop, the voice wasn't one she recognised. She pulled back her fist and let it rip fourth for everything she could put behind it.

"Cagalli stop" the voice now much clearer as he caught her punch in a hand. "It's me" the blonde didn't register the voice, and continued her own assault. "Calm down" he repeated, grabbing the other hand before she'd get the chance to fire it off. A second later the voice clicked and the blonde froze in her tracks.

"Kira?" She said completely shocked. An instant relief hit her as she stared into the nothingness of the smoke. "Wha-why are you here" she said slowly, trying to grasp what was going on.

"Shhhh, we have to get out of here now" he said in a hushed voice, grabbing her wrist and pulling her forward. She didn't argue, this was her ticket to freedom. Her legs wobbled as she blindly got pulled along. Why was he sent of all people, he shouldn't have been put in harms way. Her father must of specifically sent him, it was too big of a coincident. She suddenly tripped over a bump on the ground sending her tumbling to the dirt floor. It occurred to her that it was the blue haired man as her hands brushed over his body. She felt a twinge of guilt for his current condition, he was the reason she was still alive circumstances aside. There was a sharp tug on her arm, edging her forward.

"Hurry up, we don't have much time" came Kira's voice once again. She scurried to her feet, following behind him closely. They didn't even reach the doorway when a blazing alarm went off. Curses were heard all around as they picked up there pace. By the time they reached outside there were people running about with guns of all sizes trying to figure out what was happening. Flood lights had the surrounding area lit up like it the dawn of day. She hid behind Kira trying to shield herself from the attention. Her brother's attire was similar to their own. They slid around the building, hiding in its shadow as they tried to find a viable exit route. Aside from Kira and herself there were 3 others, all dressed in matching clothing. Cagalli collapsed to ground, grasping for any air she could, she was really out of shape.

"C'mon we have to go now, can you walk" he said. The blonde looked up at her brother bewildered, she was becoming increasingly overwhelmed at the situation. Kira immediately grabbed her bridal style in his arms and took off running, the others following closely behind. There was a loud crackle behind them as they were spotted by a guard. Luckily the bullet missed and several were fired back in return. The village was a small one with only twenty or so structures that sat on top of a rather steep hill. The hill probably gave a good view of anyone entering or leaving the area, perfect for holding hostages.

Cagalli noticed a drop of water on her hand, immediately becoming fixed on it. Was she crying? Her question was answered as several other drops fell, it was raining. What a time to start, she'd never seen rain a single day since she'd been taken. She welcomed the coolness, much better then the humid heat. She looked up at her brother who was running profusely, his features screamed of someone deep in thought. She looked around at the surroundings, they were becoming slowly engulfed in darkness the closer they got to the villages borders. It didn't stop the pursuers though, as the frequency of shots was slowly increasing.

A loud yell was heard as one of the four men with Kira crashed to the ground, grabbing his leg in pain. They stopped, returning fire once again on the enclosing pursuers.

"Run! We'll catch up!" came the demand from another one of the men. Kira surveyed the situation before looking down at Cagalli, they couldn't all be sitting ducks.

"How far out are reinforcements?" He said, quickly scanning the surroundings.

"They just radio'd in, 5minutes" Kira sighed at the large time window, a lot of thing's could happen in such a long period. As much as he wanted to save him, it could potentially cost the mission and the others their life's.

"Don't be late, we'll try to lure them away from here" he said, taking off running once again. The rain was coming increasingly heavier now, almost a full downpour, making it difficult to see. They didn't make it far when more shots fired, they were a lot closer now. Kira cursed as he lost his footing, sending both himself and Cagalli sliding down a small muddy slope and into a clearing. This wasn't good at all, they were at a huge disadvantage now. The blonde looked over at her brother who had already unholstered his own weapon knowing what was coming. They would be forced to fight until reinforcements came, knowing full well if they were to run back up the hill against oncoming fire, it would't prove too well. Cagalli tried to take in her surroundings, everything looked so surreal that it seemed to slow down. A large group of men could be seen on top the hill, each gun reflecting off what little light there was. More shots were fired and the blonde was shoved to the ground as Kira shielded her.

"Run, hide!" Kira said, as he turned around to fire. " Take this and don't turn around no matter what" he said, tossing her a small radio and flare. The blondes senses finally came back to her as she grabbed the two items and ran with the little strength she had left. She didn't make it all to far him she heard a ear splitting scream. She turned around just as her brothers figured fell to the ground. More shots were fired and Kira became a motionless lump in the shadows. Cagalli stood there in shock for what seemed to be forever as she tried to make sense of what was happening.

"Kira!" she yelled as she dropped everything in her hand and dashed back to his side. She slid the last few steps through the mud, landing on her knees. She shook his body as she tried to examine the injuries, hoping for the smallest of response. Even in the darkened surroundings the crimson blood seemed to glow luminously. Her hands moved feverishly over his body trying to find a source for all the blood. There was so much of it. "Kira, say something" she said almost hysterically, hoping that he was still alive. She brushed the soaked hair from his face trying to provoke a response, but that too failed. Rain continued to pour, soaking everything it touched in mere seconds.

"Cagalli, run" he said weakly, looking up the blonde. His eyes were almost glassy now, he was losing blood fast. Before she knew it invisible tears were cascading down her face, blending in the the torrential downpour. She wrapped her arms around her brother trying to give back the warmth that he was so quickly losing. In the corner of her eye she could see men start to slide down the slope, guns still in hand. It only made her cling to him tighter, she wasn't going to let him go. Surely he'd pull through, he had to. There were shouts behind her but she couldn't be bothered to listen, she could only focus on the horrifying truth in front of her. They tried again to get her attention, this time firing a shot in the air. Although the blonde didn't so much as flinch from the loud crackle. Her whole body trembled and rocked with each new emotion. She was so angry at the situation, sad for what had happen, but so glad to have someone she knew with her.

"Come now" this time the voice was familiar, Alex Dino. He'd awoken from his taser induced nap and had made his way out. She wouldn't leave her brothers side, she'd rather die. She tightened her grip on her brother as if holding the life within him to stay put. There was another warning shot, but that too was ignored. At that moment the blonde's world consisted of just the two of them. Light headiness began to take over as her heart raced in her chest, never seeming to get enough oxygen to satisfy her lungs. It didn't help that every time she looked at the state of her brother all the air seemed to be knocked from her chest, paralyzing her in fear. Her vision slowly began to fade, her body becoming increasingly numb as her brain continued to overdrive in panic. Cagalli's mind drifted back to the incident so many years before as a kid. The feelings completely identical to then, being helpless and so sad. Although back then he had made it through the ordeal, this time she wasn't too sure he'd do it again.

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><p>BAH DUN DUN DAHHHH . I'm a terrible person for this chapter but it comes together in the end. Thanks for reading and I'll see you next update.<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Here's another update! So much fun writing this fic now that its reaching it's peak. Expect quick updates from now on! Then again I leave next Tuesday to go back home for a week so if I don't finish it by then there may be a gap. Still not sure how much longer it'll be tbh. I might expand the ending a little bit. Anyway without further await, here is the next chapter! Hope you enjoy!

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><p>Torment<p>

Chapter Five

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><p>The small blonde craned over her brother's motionless body, quickly racking through her thoughts to find a solution. A large crowd of people were starting to gather now, everything being a inconceivable blur around her. She was quickly pushed aside by a giant of a man as he surveyed her brother. Within seconds he had withdrawn his cellphone in one hand, checking the small boys pulse in the other. Cagalli stared at the man in shock, unable to move. He was tall with long black hair and tanned skin, standing at least double the blonde size. There wasn't anything she could do for her brother, maybe he could save him. Loud siren's were heard in the distance, she hoped they wouldn't be too late.<p>

The blonde stood there in a daze as paramedic's placed her brother on the stretcher and tucked him into the back of the ambulance. She was useless, the very thought paralysing her. She watched the tall man turn around, talking as he did so. Although the words fell on deaf ears as her brain fire off rapid incomplete thoughts. What had she done? She was quickly snapped from her thoughts as the man picked her up and carried her over to the ambulance.

"Your his sister right?" he repeated as he placed her down on bench beside him.

"Y-yes!" she stuttered, trying to understand what was happening.

"Go with him, he'll be fine" the man said, reassuringly patting her head. The blonde stared at the man in disbelief, he had a small smile on that reassured her that he'd be okay. He joined the blonde on the bench, the paramedic working frantically across from them as the vehicle roared into motion.

"These your kids?" she asked as she clipped various wires together.

"No, I just found them. They didn't seem to haven't parents around" the blonde slowly tuned out the conversation above her. She grabbed her brothers hand, silently willing him not to die. She wasn't going to give up on him, surely he'd pull through.

Upon arriving at the hospital, the blonde continued to not let go of her brother. He was her responsibility. Although that was cut short when a nurse asked her to go to the waiting area so doctors could operate. She reluctantly let go, not wanting to waste any time that could jeopardize her brother's life. She exhaled loudly as she plopped down on the hard chair, all she had to do was wait. Moments later the man from the ambulance claimed the seat beside her. A long silence followed before he spoke.

"Where're your parents" he said, looking down at the small girl.

"We don't have any" she said after a long pause, looking away as if she was hiding something. Warily trying to decide if she could trust the man.

"Oh, what's your name?" the man said as he quickly checked his watch.

"Cagalli" she said, turning to watch him.

"That's nice, mine's Kisaka" he said as he flipped his phone open, now loudly ringing. The man immediately got up and left to take the call leaving the blonde to herself. Cagalli sat there for what seemed to be forever before a nurse came to take her to Kira. After entering the room, she took the seat nearest the bedside, once again grabbing his hand. Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face. The sadness from the result of her actions and the greatfullness that he was okay was truly overwhelming. He was going to be okay.

XXX

The blonde woke with a startle as the memory faded from her mind. She was lightly trembling as she tried to remember what exactly happened, most of it being a complete blur. There was a loud crack as she heard a door slam shut, causing her once again to jump from the sudden noise. She looked over to see the blue-haired man enter the room, keeping his head down the entire time as he made his way over to his bed. Once again she found the room she was in to be different. This prison was a considerable upgrade from the previous one, having a TV and even a desk aside from the essentials. It almost reminded her of a hotel room. She caught a glimpse of metal as she looked near the end of the bed. Around her ankle was a cast iron shackle, fixing her to the frame. Although she quickly got side tracked as she caught sight of crimson red , blood. She looked down at herself. The sheer amount of blood was gut wrenching as the memories that accompanied it ripped fourth. She immediately clutched her chest as it felt like her heart exploded right then, an unimaginable pain following.

She knew how these organizations worked, anyone that wasn't of any use to them were quickly disposed of. Let alone someone that was seriously injured would never live to see the light of day again. Cagalli desperately tried to fight back the tears that threatened to fall any second. She refused to give them the satisfaction that they got to her. It took everything she had to calm herself down, although inside a maelstrom brewed malevolently. She glared over at the blue haired man with all the anger she could muster. Hopefully he could feel it behind the book he had hidden himself behind.

A week passed and the blonde had increasingly more angry with everything. Not a word was said for fear that even one word would crumble the wall she so delicately built to hold back her emotions. Although it'd made it easier as the blue-haired man often left for hours at a time, leaving her alone. But right now enough was enough, she had some things to vent.

"What is it with you people, what do you plan to accomplish being so destructive" she said, venom lacing her every word as she glared the man across from her. A long pause followed. "Dino, I'm talking to you!" The blonde said, getting rather impatient.

"I'm not the one pulling the strings here" he said nonchalantly, continuing to indulge in his book.

"That doesn't make what you're doing right!" anger clearly prevalent in the loudness of her voice.

"and do what? get killed?" peering over the top of his book, his eyebrows furrowed at the question.

"Go live a life with your family away from here, why-"

"They're gone, they've already killed him" he said quietly, averting his eyes.

"What, then why-"

"Because I rather not be dead" he said, sighing as he placed his book on the bed beside him. "Regardless of whether I'm here or not, they'll continue in there ways. They'll do whatever they want"

"Your a coward" she seethe, his answers didn't make any sense to her. "Do something about it, stop making damn excuses"

"and you're naive. Don't try to think you know what your talking about" he growled back, anger becoming very apparent in his voice. As much as his voice relayed the amount of his anger he held within him, his eyes told a different story. Orbs of great sadness pooled behind them. "Now be quiet and get off my case" he said, promptly ending the conversation. He flicked the television on to hopefully preoccupy her, he didn't want to explain himself anymore. Cagalli decided she would resign for now. She remembered the first time she'd made contact with him, she could understand the look in his eyes now. It was of someone that had lost everything, and she couldn't bring herself to blame him. The blonde laid back on her bed, gazing at the ceiling as she rummaged through her thoughts. Nothing was never simple was it? It was no wonder the world was in a total chaos these days.

She found here anger merely grow at the thought, it went against everything her father work for. Her mind drifted once again, he was the only person she had left now. An immediate pool of sadness swelled within her at the thought. Hopefully he'd been release from the hospital by now. It dawned on her that he'd be running for election soon, so much time had passed. There was a instant click in her head as information came together seamlessly in her mind. Could they be blackmailing Uzumi to throw the election for her return? She was interrupted from her thoughts as the TV suddenly flashed in alert.

"We apologise to interrupt the following to bring the following urgent news" the blonde watched the screen, intrigued. It had been week's since she'd seen out of her 4 walled prison. Even the blue haired man looked up to see what had happened. "It is with deep regret that we inform you the passing of a great politician" the blonde's mouth dropped, it couldn't be...

"No..." she murmured under her breath, she hoped her guess wasn't right. Please don't let it be right.

"Today at 2:50pm, Uzumi Nara Ath-" The blonde didn't need to hear the rest of her statement. Immediately it felt like she'd been plunged into a lake full of ice, paralysing her to the very core. Before she knew prevent them, tear's were streaming down her face. She shook as her last glimpse of happiness slid between her fingers in front of her. Everything was gone. Even in the blackest depth of her mind she knew it would be much longer for her either, she'd just became of no use to her captors, and soon she'd be disposed of as well.

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><p>O_O andddd I'm still a terrible person. Hope you enjoyed! Seeya next update!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Hello there! Lot's of research later, I got the chapter done. Hope you enjoy, thing's start to get tricky :p

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><p>Torment<p>

Chapter Six

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><p>The blonde sat there for what seemed to be an eternity as the news penetrated to her every sense. The icy numbness consuming her whole as her brain tried to deal with the overwhelming emotions. Across the room the blue haired man recognized the agonizing look, it was all to familiar to him. It was hard to watch her slowly crumble away before him. The persistence. The stubbornness. Had all disintegrated away into the bit's and pieces that sat in front of him now. Her earlier words played in the back of his mind and he could start to feel himself being pulled in two separate directions. On one side he had his selfish self that would do anything to survive, on the other, he could do the right thing. Although he wouldn't wish his past on anyone, he had allowed it reoccur right before his very eyes.<p>

It was so long since he had felt something other then the voidness that lived inside of him. He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, it was all too late to be realizing this. Do something...her words tormented his growing consciousness. Without another thought he jumped from his bed, grabbing his own knapsack. Quickly extracting a key from it. In two steps he was at the blondes bedside, there wasn't any time to waste. They were probably already on the way here after hearing the news themselves. Two seconds later the shackle dropped from her ankle, freeing her. She continued to stay perfectly still, hugging her knees tightly to her chest. So oblivious to what was happening around her. Tears continued to flow endlessly as her thoughts consumed her. He gently shook her, trying to pull her to reality.

"C'mon, lets go" he rallied, purposely avoiding eye contact. This was the second time it'd happen, the first being when the military attempted to intervene. There was something about seeing the blonde sadness that seemed to stir something within him. Maybe that's when things began to change. To see such strength wither away to nothingness was really heart wrenching.

"Don't" came the soft response. The blue haired man's mouth gaped at the response. Had she given up? Where was the stubbornness? He sighed as he glanced back at the door, there wasn't time for this.

"No" he said curtly, he wouldn't stop now after he made up his mind. The sudden knock on the door made every hair on his body go on end.

"Shit" he cursed under his breath. Without another wasted second he shouldered his bag and opened the single window in the room. Grabbing the blonde in his arms, he made his way to the one exit available. Luckily the room was on ground level, they could make a convincing run for it. He carefully made the tight squeeze out the window just on time as he heard a second knock, much louder than the first. Making his way through the ally, he tried to recall as many details as he knew about the surrounding area. As soon as he found a place for them to hide, they'd be in the clear hopefully.

He made his way through the twists and the turns of the ally way, thinking as he went. They were in Bikaner, a rather large city to most. It had a avid culture that kept the streets fairly busy throughout the day, great for covering their tracks. It was late afternoon now, giving another hour or two of sunlight which definitely seemed to be too long. The blonde remained limp in his arms as she swayed back and fourth in rhythm with his stride. Completely resigning herself to everything. He realized her skin scorched at contact with his own. She must of blown a fever he thought. Another complication to add to the list of problems. Ducking down another alleyway he slowed to a fast pace walk. Unable to hear a single pursuer. He knew who to contact to get them out of this situation, he just had to find a way to get there in one piece. After a while he came to a stop, placing the blonde on the ground as carefully as he could.

He dropped his pack on the ground, rummaging through it and pulling out what looked to be an oversized cell phone. Hitting various button he sighed, glancing back at the blonde briefly. She was breaking out in a full sweat now, raising many medical alarms in the back of his mind. He hope she didn't rupture something, he couldn't afford to take her to a hospital. It'd be like handing her right back over to them. He held a wrist to her forehead as he furiously hit buttons on the phone with his other hand. Her temperature was really getting up there, and only a few things could only push it so far. Looking back down at the satellite phone he frowned, no response. There was no telling how long this could take. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, it was hot even in the shade of the buildings. It must be unimaginable for the blonde with the added fever. He had to get the blonde out of the heat. Even that posed many problems, his Hindi wasn't very good. Leaving the possibility of holing up in a inn was out of the question. A sudden loud mechanical roar was heard, making him jump. It took a moment for him to realize what the sound was. A train. His heart jumped at the discovery, this would be great to get some distance from the immediate vicinity to shake the pursuers from their trail. Dino turned back to the blonde, once again picking her up. She grunted in pain at the contacted.

"Sorry" he said softly, shifting her around to hopefully make her a bit more conformable.

"Just leave me" she mumbled, trying to force her eye's to stay open. The cold darkness inside of her was remaining persistent, she had no one and that thought scared her. For him to go against her wishes was rather tormenting. The blue haired man ignored her comment, she wasn't thinking properly. Following his ears, he made the short travel to the train. Luckily there was no one watching last few cars and they were able to slip inside without being noticed. The car they chose was filled with luggage, making it a bit of a squeeze for him in the small isle. He gently placed her down, catching her as her torso fell towards the floor. After steadying her, he put as much space between them as he could, not wanting to provoke her. She was really upset and he didn't want to cause her anymore harm, he had already caused so much.

He once again ripped through his bag to find the large phone, maybe he'd have better luck now. Without needing to look, he could feel an icy glare across from him. It was understandable for her to be had, he didn't blame her. Although it was good that'd she'd emerged from her thoughts she should have been resting instead of staring him down. There was no telling how long they'd be on the run.

The train roared once again as it picked up speed, a cool breeze blowing through the narrow space as it glided along its way. They would be safe for now. He sighed in relief as he continued to punch away on the phone. The sooner he could get her out of harms way the better. There was a loud beep causing him to gasp in excitement at the response. They had a line of communication, all that was left was to just had to meet up and get her to safety. As soon as he found out where they were heading to, it wouldn't be much longer. He looked back across at the blonde, finding her sound asleep. Atleast her fever seemed to have settled, merely being agitated by the outside heat.

XXX

The rest period seemed incredibly short as the train slowed to a stop. Dino rubbed the tiredness from his eyes, finding himself unable to sleep in the few hours of peace. His conscious proving to be rather annoying. The blonde still slept across from him. It wasn't surprising, the days event probably took quite the toll. He tried his best not to wake her as he picked her up, attempting to be discrete as possible. After exiting the car he picked up his pace to merge with the fleeting crowd, hoping to not draw attention. He looked around trying to find the smallest indication where they were now. Entering the atrium of the train station, the brass plating popped out at him, it was impossible to miss. Jaisalmer. Great, he had a location, it wouldn't be too much longer. He exited the small building, taking a seat at the first bench he could find. Balancing the blonde in his lap with one hand, he dug through his bag with the other trying to find the phone. Once finding it, he rapidly punched away at the keys, hopefully there'd be a quick response. Within seconds it dinged back.

"Airbase"he read aloud, frowning at the lack of detail. Then again he was only in a small town. It couldn't possibly be that hard to find, even in the darkness of night. Storing everything back away, he got to his feet. Maybe there was a map around somewhere.

XXX

After a little while he'd managed to find it. He was right, the place had stuck out like a sore thumb. It was lit up like a football field, flood lights drowning everything in luminosity. He felt the blonde stir in his arms, the lights surely waking her. Dino made his way over to shadows of the hanger, hoping to get some cover should things not go as planned. Cagalli squirmed in his arms, trying to break free of his strong grasp.

"Put me down" she said, her voice still maintaining it's frailness. He obeyed, setting her against the wall. She quickly grabbed her head as if trying to silence the many voices. Her strength was slowly returning now, as was her awareness. A good sign he noted. Once again he could feel her glare as she watched him cautiously. He expected questions to come, but they never did.

"I''m going to go scout around to make sure we haven't been followed. Don't move" he said, taking off his pack and setting it on the ground near the blonde. When he looked back at her, she had already dozed off once again. Maybe it would be better, she couldn't do anything careless or run off. He made his back around the hanger, checking every possible hiding place for a possible pursuer. A loud sigh of relief followed as he realized there was no one there, so far so good. Pacing in circles, he waited. If he did get ambushed, at the very least the blonde was hidden from the immediate danger. There was a soft snap of a twig a short ways away, causing him to turn.

A shadowy figure approached him, the bright lights behind him concealing his features. The blue haired man squinted to try to make out any details but it didn't help. Immediately he knew something was wrong, and took a small step backwards. Although it was already too late. Three mechanical hisses were heard back to back. It took him a second to realize what the sound was, gun shots. Within an instant his body went limp and completely unresponsive, sending him crashing face first into the ground. A cold numbness taking over shortly after. He found himself unable to move as his body slowly went into shock. Behind him several foot steps were heard. Between the tiredness and the growing loss of blood, his conscious faded. He had tried his best.

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><p>So, lots of things learned this chapter :D Expect the next chapter out in a day or two. I hoped you enjoyed this, feel free to ask any questions. Thank you and see ya next~!<p> 


	8. Chapter 8

Hello again! Long time no see... just kidding. Last update was hardly two days ago, hahaha. Another chapter for you all. I hope you enjoy it.

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><p>Torment<p>

Chapter Seven

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><p>Amber eye's slowly blinked as her conscious emerged from it's slumber. Everything around her seem to pool into big blobs of undefinable objects. She raised a hand to rub the tiredness from her eyes, hoping to bring some clarity to her world. The blonde looked forward as everything came to focus, slowly taking in the details of her room. It was just as bland as the previous cages. Although it was apparent that this was no prison. Various machine's chimed to her right, bleeping in unison with her heart. The room glowed from the outside light, reflecting brightly off the white walls. A nurturing warmth cloaked the open space giving an almost angelic feel, it didn't feel real. She looked to her right, seeing the smallest of movement. Her eye's widening at the discovery, there was no way she was still alive.<p>

"Cagalli" the figure greeted warmly, a small smile creasing his lips. It was such a relief to see the blonde okay. She stared back in disbelief at the brown haired man, it couldn't be.

"Kira" she said softly, her voice being rather raspy due to the long slumber. She looked him up and down ensuring that it was really him. Aside from an arm in a sling and several cuts and bruises he was otherwise okay. She motioned him closer, trying to get him within arm's reach to see if he was really there. She didn't trust her eyes in the slightest.

He leaned just within her reach, allowing her wrap an arm around him. The warmth, the smell, it really was him. The actualization made her hug him all the tighter, not wanting to let him go.

"How, I thought..." she couldn't understand. There was so much blood, how was it even possible that he made it out of there. Her brain slowly tried to recall through the past memories but it was too muddled by the overwhelming happiness coursing through her. She couldn't be bring herself to worry about such dreary things right now.

"I'm fine, just a few scratches" Kira said, his smile unrelenting. He too, found all the worry from the past month melt away as the blonde was now safe.

"What happened" Cagalli pressed, clearing her throat so she could breathe a bit easier. Her strength was slowly returning, feeling more energized by the minute.

"Some doctor pronounced me dead and they tossed me to the curb" he said with a laugh, a little more jokingly then he should have. Her eye twitched upon hearing the information, was it Dino? It seemed like such a careless mistake that he didn't seem capable making. Did he purposely do it then? She ran her hand through her hair, trying to clear her head from the abundance of growing questions. She was thankful. Both her and her brother were alive and well. She looked down at herself, a sudden thought dawning on her. Where was he now? Did he simply just return to his doom, or was he amongst the wind now? She looked back at Kira hoping for something to break the silence and to preoccupy her growing concerns.

"He wasn't as lucky as you" he said slowly, noticing the glimpse of curiosity in the blonde eyes. "3 GSW's to the chest-" Gun shot wounds... he was most likely dead as she guessed previously. She didn't know how to feel about this information, it was rather conflicting."In a coma" Kira concluded, looking at his sister intently, noticing her odd reaction. The behaviour was rather concerning as she'd usually be disinterested in the lives of others, but maybe he was reading to far into her reaction. She sighed loudly, feigning disinterest in his words noticing her brother's watchful gaze. She didn't want to worry him about her behavioural changes, he'd be sure to pester her to talk to a shrink or something. She frowned trying to think of something to draw her brothers attention away from her. He shouldn't have to worry about her.

"You hear about Dad?" she said out of the blue, breaking the overly long silence. Kira's face fell to a sombre expression from the statement.

"Yea..." as he too hung his head in sadness. She shook her head at the thought trying to control the consuming sadness. Why did she have to mention this. The brunette grabbed her hand trying to comfort her, he knew what their father meant to her. She tried her best to control the raging feelings, not wanting to worry her brother. He was no doubt just as upset as she was, and she didn't want to draw away from his own grief. A long silence followed as each of them honoured the memories of Uzumi. After a while, there was a loud knock at the door.

"I'll get it" Kira said, leaving the blondes side.

"Cagalli, I'm going to have to go. Some work came up" he said, as he stuck his head back through the doorway. The blonde rolled her eye's at statement, work in his state would be silly. He'd most likely end up getting someone shot. Then again, there were the unknown fates of the others soldier's that was with him when they tried to free her. "Don't leave the hospital, or the wing for that fact. There's guards posted just in case"

"Yea, don't worry" the blonde said, giving a quick wave before he left. She wouldn't force him to stay. The room came increasing colder with each moment that passed after he left. Being left alone only caused her inner emotions to become increasing overwhelming. She hugged her torso trying hard to keep some of the warmth that was so quickly leaving. It was so much easier with someone there with her. Although she would never bother Kira with her unneeded request. She couldn't do that after everything he had done for her. The monitor beside her became more annoying as it became quicker in pace.

Before things could get any worse she swung her feet off the side of the bed, pulling the various wires from her chest and arm. She winced in pain as her hand started to bleed from the IV, but the pain was nothing compared to the hovering emotions. Maybe a small walk would help calm her down. Steadying herself on the bed, she took a few shakey steps. Her legs getting use to weight relatively quick.

It seemed like things were finally going in a more positive direction so far. It was such a relief that Kira was okay, but even that couldn't overcome everything that had happened.

Kisaka.

Uzumi.

Kira ended up shot and there was the platoon of military soldiers that were missing. She sighed out loud at the thought, she was a magnet for trouble. It didn't help that she was unscathed after everything that happened, it just wasn't right. She exited the small room, checking down the hallway in each direction. On one side, there were two large doors with a single guard standing post. On the other, a dead end, merely having a few rooms.

Overall it was a rather small area, maybe 5-6 rooms total. It didn't give much room for a decent walk, but she would take what she could get. After passing three empty rooms it dawned on her that she might be the only one here aside from the guard. The thought provoked the raging emotions that were fighting so hard to run rampant. The overwhelming feelings were dizzying making her world spin for a split second. Before she knew it, she was falling towards the ground, losing her balance. The blonde attempted to grab the nearest thing to steady herself, only managing to take a hold of a door handle which did little to ease the fall. She fell into the room with a quiet thud, she couldn't be bothered to get up. A loud sigh was heard as she rolled over on her back, how annoying.

What she would do just to go back to her regular self, she felt so broken right now. The self pity didn't sit well with the raging guilt. She focused her thoughts to the surroundings, hoping to preoccupy her mind. Although the white ceiling did little too interest her. She closed her eyes, listening to the quiet hum of the air conditioning as a soothing song. A loud bleep made her jump, immediately making her sit upright to find the source. It hit her that there was someone else in the room. The blonde got to her feet immediately, curiosity slowing taunting her. Her eye's landed on the blue haired man, her consciousness stirring at the sight.

Dino.

Her eye's caught a glimpse of steel, handcuffs minding him to the frame of the bed. He was now a prisoner, the irony. He was another person that got hurt in her cross fire. By the looks of it, we wasn't doing too well in his given state. Masses of tubes and wires were strewn over him, he didn't get the mere heartrate monitor and fluid IV she had. He was still unconscious but it was understandable. Thick cotton gauze wrapped his torso, although spotty red patches had begun bleed through. He seemed so at peace in his sleep, she felt bad that she'd gotten him involved. She sighed at the thought, shouldn't be mad at what he did. She frowned at her indecisiveness. Then again he did save Kira. Hell he even saved her, if he didn't do what he did then Kira would have lost even her on top of the loss for her father. She'd never forgive herself for acting so irrational, she was lucky he got her out of there alive. Maybe a thank you was in order. ..

It was incredible how clear she could recall through her memories now, it was like finally able to emerge from the thick fog. The clarity was like a fresh breathe of air. She tilted her head as she thought through the situation. The creeping cold had disappeared now, a warmth becoming incredibly prevalent. She didn't understand were the feelings were coming from. She looked back down at the man. He protected her and for the first time in a while she didn't feel so vulnerable. Sighing, she pulled over a chair from the corner. She knew he didn't have anyone much like the position she found herself in. Although she now had Kira and he was still alone. She'd even managed to get out the situation unscathed and he'd taken three bullets. He'd given her her brother back, surely he should be able to wake up and not be abandoned.

She took a seat in the chair, pulling her legs to her chest. She would be thankful for what he did.

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><p>Fun chapter lah! Really fun to write! I hope you all enjoyed it. I'll see you next update!<p> 


	9. Chapter 9

Here's a nice long chapter for y'all! I think there's only 2 more after this. haha. Hope you enjoy.

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><p>Torment<p>

Chapter Eight

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><p>Emerald eyes slowly blinked as they adjusted to the lack of lighting. The room glowed in the late afternoon sun that was now setting on the horizon. He attempted to brush the stray hairs from his vision but found his hands bounded to the railing. The large handcuff rattled loudly in protest with the rebellious arm. He frowned at the situation, merely using his other arm to do the simple task. He sighed as he studied the bleeping monitors beside him before turning to assess his injuries himself. He could only vaguely recall the details from memory. Although his eyes fell on a certain blonde as he gazed downwards. She was sound asleep, her head resting against his bed. He could of touched her hair if he wanted to. He was happy she was okay. Looking up at the ceiling slowly he pondered his thoughts not knowing what to do next. Maybe he'd be shipped of to jail, maybe not. Although it didn't really matter to him, there wasn't anything he could go back to now.<p>

An irritating burning was felt through his nostril, becoming more annoying by the second. He hated being put on oxygen, but it couldn't be helped as he doubted he had the lung capacity to breathe himself given his current state. The constant hissing of air leaking caused his memory to become increasing clear. He had been shot. It was a miracle he was still alive, three chest wounds rarely had such an outcome. His blood pressure was really low too to top it off. Leaving death a looming figure at the sign of infections or clotting problems, it wouldn't take much. It sucked being a doctor sometimes, you couldn't be spared the details of your own injuries. He took a deep breathe as he looked up at the ceiling, slowly exhaling as he tried to relax. Even that sent a wave of searing hot pain through his chest.

His head fell to the side, finding little interest in the ceilings blandness. He jumped in surprise as he found amber orbs stare back at him, another wave of pain shooting across his chest. Clutching his chest he tried to sit upright to easy the pressure, but that too did little to help as the pain continued to pulse. Beside him the machines started to chime, noting the increase in heartrate. He sunk back into the hard mattress, trying his best to not move. Closing his eyes, he attempted to will the pain away hoping to settle himself down. Trying to sit up really wasn't a bright idea.

He opened his eye's once more, only to find the blonde's gaze still unrelenting. He smirked at the situation, it was as if the world was upside down. She got the job of watchful babysitter now. The corners of her mouth frowned at his response but he knew how it probably looked. Motioning toward his arm he rattled the shackle, hoping she'd understand. The blonde raised her eyebrows in response, obviously not finding the humour in the situation. His expression changed to one of confusion. Her presence was rather odd to him, he didn't know why she was still here. She looked as if she was in deep thought, trying to decide on something before she spoke. He noticed the looming darkness in her eyes, she seemed to be fighting back so much sadness. Her regular bold fierceness was no where to be seen.

Another loud exhale came the blue haired man as he was now slightly annoyed at the long silence, the blonde staying eerily quiet. He cringed as a small pain shot through his chest once again, he really wasn't in that great of shape to be doing much of anything. Even breathing seemed like such a hard task. Once again he closed his eyes, focusing on each breathe. The blonde was an intriguing individual, a certain perplexity came about her odd actions. A sudden sharp jab in his leg caused him to open an eye lazily to see what the problem was.

"You.." she said slowly, picking her words carefully. A long silence followed as she thought. "Thank you Dino" immediately bowing her head. It took him a moment to realized what she'd said. Why was she thanking him? He sighed at the predicament, running a hand through his hair.

"It's Athrun" he said coarsely, deciding to start with the easiest of things first. She tilted her head at the response, she wasn't sure not to make of it. Dino was a mere alias.

"For saving Kira.. and me" her voice became increasing quieter with each word. They weren't easy words for Cagalli to say, but they had to be said. She had Kira because of him, the one person she had left. The blonde shrunk back in her chair, pulling her legs to her chest as if to hide something. Her expression was one that showed a much more vulnerable side of her. He closed his eyes once again, he didn't like the situation at all. It didn't make him feel any better about what he'd done.

"Don't" he said with a small grunt of pain. It was becoming annoying that each little breathe and movement was increasingly more painful then the previous. Let alone the added guilt. The blonde was far from okay and he had played a heavy role in her current state. She was a wreck and he couldn't take looking at the carnage infront of him. " I don't... deserve it" the blue haired man said between short breathes. He cringed, the pain was really something, and it was beginning to cloud his thoughts. There was the soft sound of the blonde stirring, most likely getting up out of the chair. Moments later he heard the door slide shut, she'd left the room. It did little to ease his discomfort. He opened his eyes to find the room was now empty, allowing his guilt to reside into the back of his mind. Tiredness was becoming more persistent by the moment, maybe it would be best to deal with it later and merely rest for now. It wasn't like he'd be running anywhere anytime soon.

He intently watched the monitors beside him, preoccupying his bothersome thoughts when the door swung open. This time an additional two people entered along with the blonde into the small room. He watched one of the men go to his bed side, checking various monitors while jotting down notes. Most likely a doctor much like himself. The other two stood off to the side arguing back and fourth.

"Kira be reasonable, he saved you too" came the angry voice of the blonde.

"So, he still helped them"

"He got me out of there alive"

"After what point, he was only trying to right his own wrongs"

"I'm only asking you remove the handcuff, its not like he's going to run"

"Why do you care Cagalli"

"Because he..saved you... and me. Its the least we could do"

"That's a poor answer"

"God dammit Kira"

"Okay okay, I'm posting someone to the outside door though. I don't trust him" Athrun cocked his head to one side at the statement, it struck him as odd. He watched the brown haired man approach his bedside, withdrawing a key from his back pocket. The man glared him down as he undid the shackle, he was wasn't happy at all with the decision. The blue haired man flicked his eye's to look at the blonde who was standing in the corner. She had quite the poker face, as her eyes already resumed the distant away look. The brunette noticed the shifted gaze and immediately dropped handcuffs on top of his chest sending unimaginable pain throughout his whole body. He knew where he was looking at and it angered him. It would make him happy to do nothing better than to sock him in the gut, but he withheld it. The man immediately left the room afterwards in a huff, the blonde was truly being silly. Athrun gritted his teeth in pain, was that really necessary? He was already in pain without heavy cast iron shackles being tossed on top of sore wounds.

"How's the pain?"the doctor said, talking for the first since he entered the room. He tilted his head side to side, it was annoying but it could of been worst. He scribbled down more notes before hitting a few more buttons on the machine. Athrun could feel the tiredness tugging on his eyes, his injuries were taking a lot out of him really quickly. He held up his now free hand hand, admiring it. Focusing past his hand he could see the blonde. She was certainly an odd one.

XXX

Weeks passed before Athrun had ever regained enough strength to start getting back on his feet. Chest wounds always took a long time to heal, it was an annoying fact. Even now he now he could hardly manage to walk, his long bed stay withering away his strength. He pulled himself upright, his chest pulsing like terrible bruise at the strain. Instinctively he grabbed his torso with a hand as if to brush the pain away. Crossing his legs under him, he held his hand out infront of him. Clenching and unclenching his hand. He still felt so weak. The lack progression was annoying. He had yet to deal with the waiting problem of what to do once discharged, which could be any day now. There was no where to go for him, and he didn't have a single piece of paper to his name. To the world he didn't exist. Then again maybe he'd be locked up in prison.

Him and the blonde had been locked up in this hospital the full duration since his capture. Although it wasn't required to be a hospital , he merely needed bed rest and the occasional pain killer and the blonde was physically unhurt. It was probably a precaution should anyone be looking for the blonde, they didn't like loose ends and he was sure they'd be out to get her. He'd also had his game of twenty questions with the military answering various questions about the organization. Even though he had done the bidding for them for the last two years, he knew minimal information. On top of that he still didn't know if he was heading to a life in prison or not. He was still waiting to hear back on the decision.

He heard the door open to his right and immediately knew who it was. The blonde frequently stopped by, staying for up to hours at a time. She rarely ever said anything, merely hovering like a ghost. It always looked like she was troubled with something but he'd never brought himself to ask, it wasn't in his place. Maybe she had something on her mind she wanted to say. He sighed, karma was truly terrible. There was a certain guilt about her presence. He had to watch the result of his actions everyday play out in front of him, and it was heartbreaking. The blonde was a fragment of her former self, hiding within the darkness of fear. He knew the look from anywhere, it'd stared back at himself in the mirrors for years now. A light rustle was heard as she took a seat, curling her legs towards her chest. She seemed more conflicted then usual, her mind deep in thought. There was a long silence that seem to eat away at her as her mind sifted through various information. He sighed as he hunched over to rest his head on his hand, watching the blonde from the corner of his eye. Just what was she thinking behind those amber eyes.

"You're discharged tomorrow" she said averting her eyes towards ground. It was now very apparent something was bugging her and he could only guess what it was.

"and I'll be shipped off to prison, correct?" Athrun said as rubbed his head. Atleast now he didn't have to worry about where he could go, he'd have no say.

"No, charges were dropped" the blonde said as she went back to watching him, her head resting on top of her knees. He raised an eyebrow at the behaviour, it didn't make sense. There was a long silence, as he tried to process what she said. It was like he had been given a second chance at life, he wasn't expecting that. He looked at Cagalli again, trying to figure out the odd reaction.

"You're unhappy with the decision I take it" he said, gazing out the window. Maybe it was anger that had kept her coming back.

"No, I'm not" she said, brushing a few stray hairs from her face. It was really starting to confuse him, he couldn't understand the disappointment that resided in her eyes. She was upset about something. Another long silence followed as they both thought about the situation at hand.

"Athrun..." his ear twitched at the use of his name, that was a first. "Where are you going to go, I mean. Your not going back..." she said, her expression changing to one of concern. Yet another first for the blonde, this was as personal as she had gotten in the time he'd known him. The woman was really something, completely unpredictable and it was becoming increasingly intriguing to him.

"No, I'm not. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet" he said bitterly._ He was a ghost prone to wander alone_. She shifted in her seat, becoming increasingly fidgety. Something was really bothering her and he still couldn't understand what. Maybe it was her father death finally getting to her, she never really mourned his death aside from the day she found out. If she wasn't following the brunette around she was watching over him. She always kept herself preoccupied somehow.

"So your just going to leave?"

"Yeup" there really wasn't any other choice for him, he couldn't just stay here. The blonde frowned at the response, she didn't like it.

"Don't" she said, suddenly getting to her feet. Both the response and movement startling him. Just where was this conversation going, what was she getting at. He stayed quiet hoping she'd explain her statement. "I mean, don't go"

"Why would I stay here, I don't exactly enjoy looking at what I've done" he said, laying back in his bed. The guilt he got from just seeing her was enough for him to lose his appetite. He clenched his fist in anger, his blind behaviour was infuriating. Why did he ever allow such things to happen.

"You can't blame yourself... I don't blame you...you shouldn't. I mean...You lost your family, you weren't thinking. Hell, I wasn't even thinking in the exact same situation. It's understandable" she said, her voice coming increasingly louder with each word.

"It doesn't make it right" he said, watching the blonde intently. He could of swore he saw flicker of a flame behind her eyes, the fiery opinionated self was scratching at the surface to be let free.

"Where are you going if you leave"

"I don't know" he repeated, sighing shortly after. She was really talkative today.

"Come back state side with me for a while... Until you can get back up on your feet" she said watching for his reaction.

"Why. Do you not remember what I've done?" he said in disbelief. The blonde had truly lost her mind now, just where was this all coming from. She took a few deep breathes, carefully choosing her words.

"I know, I know. But I owe you at least this much. I'm grateful for what you did and you don't deserve to dumped on the side of the road" she said, once again fidgeting. It seemed like there was something else on her mind. He frowned at the response, it really only added to his guilt.

"I don't need pity" he snapped, coming off slightly upset.

"It's not pity..." She said sighing. "You just shouldn't be alone" He could see where she was coming from. Her mere moments in nothingness allowed her to see the horrible truth within it. Unlike him, she would do the right thing.

"Fine, just for a little while" he said sighing. Help would be good. He'd stay no longer then what was needed to get back on his feet again.

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><p>and another chapter bites the dust! hahaah, I hope you all enjoyed and I'll see you in two day :D<p> 


	10. Chapter 10

Last chapter before I hop on my flight in which I'll be gone for a week. There will be TWO MORE CHAPTERS after this one for this fic. So that everything for now, I'll see you when I get back. Enjoy

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><p>Torment<p>

Chapter Nine

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><p>Athrun sighed as he turned the envelope over in his hand once again. He looked at the small writing on the front, it was his first piece of mail he'd gotten in the longest time. It gave him a weird feeling.<p>

"Your not going to open it?" came the blondes voice, impatiently tapping her foot. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her as she continued to stand in front of him after bringing him the small envelope.

"No, I already know" he said, waving in the air towards her as if to tease her. The blonde was behaving like a small child, always inquisitive to what he was up to. Never being overbearing though, but in all honesty it simply amused him. She snapped a hand forward, grabbing the envelope. He shrugged it off, merely walking off down the hallway towards his temporary bedroom. The blonde followed in tow as she shredded through the paper shell. The blue haired man laid down in his bed, watching Cagalli as she leaned against the doorway reading the contents.

"Athrun...Lenore... Zala" she said slowly, looking over over the parchment at him.

"I have a name again" he said boredly, slowly closing his eyes. Tiredness tugged at the corners, his strength was still returning ever so slowly. There was a soft click as the blonde hit the light, walking off without saying another word. Once again she was gone just as quick as she appeared, always leaving abruptly. It was quite the odd friendship they had, if could even be considered that. He kept to himself mostly, but the blonde would come and go throughout the day. Sometimes saying nothing at all and others talking briefly like good friends. It was odd, but he went with it. The company would do him some good. His guilt had resided for the most part aswell, Cagalli really seemed to have really forgiven him. It helped ease his consciousness, but he still wasn't completely happy with himself.

His thoughts shifted once again. He had a legal name now and could start applying for jobs, he didn't have much time left here. The tiredness persisted and he could feel himself being sucked in. Slowly his mind drifted towards the darkness until he could prevent it no longer.

XXX

Athrun woke up hours later in the nights darkness. It was a bad habit. He slept at random hours and usually found himself up in the early hours of the night. Loud droplets of rain could be heard as each one pounded the outside exterior of the house. He ran a quick hand through his hair, smoothing it back into place. He hit the lamp to his bedside, lighting up the small room. It was cosy, housing all the necessaries along with a desk in the corner. The room was located in the basement, which he found ideal for himself. He could easily go unnoticed should the brown haired man stop by again. Kira always gave him trouble in one form or another. Aside from that it was usually just him and the blonde in the house, sometimes the occasional visitor stopping by to pay their respects. She stayed mostly in her study on the main floor, slowly easing herself back into work.

He could see the envelope and the contents sitting onto of the table from where he sat. He sighed at the heaviness of his limbs, he couldn't wait to be back to his regular strength. Taking a deep breathe he realized the back of his throat was quite dry, he was really thirst. A small walk upstairs wouldn't be bad to get his blood moving. Steadily he got his feet, sluggishly making his way up stairs. The microwave clock glowed 3:39AM beside him as he ran the tap. Down the hall a small glow could be seen from the study, the blonde must've still been up. A loud crack of thunder shook the house as rain continued to bombard against the windows, He leaned against the counter as he downed the glass of water in seconds. Glancing down the hallway he watched the study, half expecting the blonde to appear any moment. Another deafening clash was heard as the storm battled overhead. Lightning flashed, illuminating the entire floor for a split second as it ripped the sky above in two. It shadowed quite the depressive gloom on everything. He spun back around, hitting the tap. Once again filling his glass.

A sudden loud thud startled him, making him freeze mid drink. Looking down the hallway, his eyes landed on a small ball of a figure. It took him a moment to realise it was Cagalli, she must of tripped. He finished his glass of water, sticking the dirty glass in the dishwasher before turning around. The blonde remained unchanged, not moving in the slightest. Something wasn't right. He warily approached her, assuming that she'd get up any second. After crossing half the space between them, it was noticeable she was trembling slightly.

"You okay" he said, crouching over her. She shakily tried to push herself up, keeping her head down. The tremors becoming increasingly worst in mere seconds as she paused to try and steady herself. One of her hands suddenly slipped across the wood surface, sending her hurdling towards the floor. Luckily Athrun managed to grab her shoulders, preventing the fall. Just what was wrong with her. He sat her upright, trying to figure out the odd behaviour. Her features hid behind a veil of hair, so he couldn't see her expression. Maybe she was just tired, but that didn't exactly answer why she was trembling. He felt a single drop of water land on his hand. She was crying? He looked at her in disbelief, as if to see through the mess of hair.

"What's wrong?" Athrun said, frowning at the situation. She was silent, curling her legs towards her as if protect herself. He sighed as he brushed the hair from her face, he was right. She was crying. Her eyes stared at the floor lifelessly as they avoided his own. "This about what happened?" he said softly. Maybe it was a bad idea for him to be here. The blonde didn't move a muscle as her emotions slowly consumed her. He could only guess what had caused this. It was just like before, no doubt being triggered by the rain.

"You should go to bed" he said, getting to his feet slowly. Guilt slowly churned in his stomach making him increasingly uneasy as he looked down at her. He felt so bad every time he saw her like this. She sat there unresponsive to everything said, merely being sucked into the vortex of it all. He sighed, she probably wasn't even capable of processing anything in this state. It wouldn't be right to just leave her there on the cold floor. Before he knew what he was doing, he scooped her up in his arms. Even with the little strength he had, he was able to carry her, she seemed so light. After making his way up the stairs, he took the first right. Walking into her room, he gently placed her on the bed.

Her eye's held a glassy, far away look. Emotions running rampart over her. Tears continued to stream down her face, it was so devastating. She could play it off as if it never happened all she wanted but he had known it would eventually come to this. Maybe a good night sleep would help her. She was a giant case of PSD with him to blame. The guilt was unbearable as he looked at her now. He turned to leave, stopping midway as he felt something grab his wrist. He looked down to find the small hand of Cagalli loosely clutching him. He raised an eyebrow at the gesture, he could never understand what was going on in her mind.

"Stay..please. Just for a while" the blonde said sheepishly. She was calming down now, her trembling slowly dissipating aswell. What a predicament this was. There wasn't a way in hell he'd be able to say no to her, even when it ate away at his consciousness. Maybe a little while wouldn't hurt. He sighed, taking a seat on the edge of bed. The blondes hand still wrapped around arm. She was like a small vulnerable child, clinging to him for the protection. He would never understand how things came to be this way.

XXX

His mind got pulled from it's slumber as he felt a sharp jab in his hip. He sat up groggily as he tried to make sense of the blurry blobs of light infront of him. There was another jab, causing him to groan.

"What is it" he mumbled, brushing some of the stray hairs from his face.

"Out!" came the angry voice of the blonde.

"What?" Athrun said, blinking his eyes a few times, trying to understand what was happening. Why was she yelling?

"I said out with you" she said, pushing him forward. The blue haired man stumbled forward, still trying to fully wake from his slumber. He heard the door slam shut behind him as he entered the hallway. It took him a while to think over what had happened before he walked sighed as he hit the second set of stairs. Why was she so angry? He didn't understand her. What he should do? The blonde obviously wasn't happy. Laying down in the bed, he stared at the ceiling. Why were things were so complicated?

Hours passed before a loud creak of stairs could be heard down the hallway, most likely the blonde returning for round two. He sat upright preparing to brace himself for another blast. A loud whine was heard open as she pushed open the door. She stood in the doorway for a while watching him, carefully choosing her words.

"I can leave if you want" he said bluntly, taking a guess at the source of anger. She continued to stay eerily quiet as if to agree with him, it was tormenting now. His brain tried to understand her actions, but sadly it made little sense to him.

"You can sa-"

"Shhh!" she shushed, frowning. He rolled his eye's, just what was she planning. She kept watching him, thinking meticulously behind her amber eyes.

"I'm broken" she said suddenly, her words were heavy, full of truth and something else he couldn't quite put his finger on. She was stating something he already knew, where could this be going? "I'm scared and I can hardly go two seconds without being reminded of everything. I feel I'm going to be crushed under it all if I'm left alone" She kept a straight face, completely void of any emotion. She took another breath. "I can't bother my brother with any of it and I've been using you" His ear twitched at the last statement, just what was she talking about. He raised an eyebrow at the blonde, waiting for her to continue.

"I have my kidnapper hiding in my basement and I don't understand why I feel like everything's going to be okay while I'm around you. I'm sorry for not telling you" she said, taking another large breathe. It looked like a giant burden had been lifted off her chest. Athrun tilted his head to the side, slowly thinking.

"I understand if you want to go, It not fair of me to have done this with out telling you" Cagalli said, her face now registering disappointment. Although her eyes told another story, one that held a decisiveness and renewed strength. This was the most forward she'd been yet, it was a nice progression.

"It's fine. I mean I'm more then happy to be there for you. It's the least I can do after everything... There's no hard feelings" he said, sighing. A human punching bag wouldn't be so bad. Relief registered on her face, she must of felt guilty herself. "I'll stay here so long as it's okay with you" She nodded in approval, before turning on her heels and walking away. Gone as quick as she came again he thought. The blue haired man flopped back in his bed, thinking about the mornings events.

"Hey Athrun" came the blondes voice from down the hallway.

"What" he said, partially sitting sitting up so he could see her.

"Friends?"

"Yea.. friends" he called back, laying back down. He could of swore he saw the smallest of smile for a fraction of a second. It suddenly hit him what the look in her eyes was. It was the old her returning ever so slowly. Before he knew it, his lips creased to the same grin.

* * *

><p>Seeya in a week, sorry for the long wait. Thanks in advance! One day they will have a full conversation. I swear.<p> 


	11. Chapter 11

So, I got back from Ottawa Tues night and have had tons of fun fixing my sleeping schedule (not). So this chapter is a bit later then I wanted to be, sorry! But as an added bonus of waiting so long for it, it's extra long! Haha. This is the 2nd last chapter. ONE more after this. So without anymore delays, here it is!

PS. as Fate Camiswhil so nicely pointed out last chapter, it is PTSD (Post-traumatic stress disorder). I got a little to eager with the backspace.

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><p>Torment<p>

Chapter Ten

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><p>Athrun sighed as he twisted the key in it's lock. The outside weather was truly terrible today. In the span it took him to arrive home, it had went from a sunny cloudless day to a pouring rain. Although it was typical for fall, he hated the complete change in the matter of minutes. The front door creaked as he pushed it open, walking into the entrance way as he did so. He immediately noticed the empty study, the blonde must of been out herself. Then again with the rain she was probably upstairs, not wanting to go out in the poor weather. He found it odd she wasn't burying herself in work to preoccupy herself. The rain was still a threatening presence for Cagalli. It was like a crowbar trying to pry loose everything she tried so hard to keep control of. Tossing his shoes to the side, he made his way towards the basement door. The sudden loud creak behind him revealing the whereabouts of the blonde.<p>

"No hi?" he said casually as he made his way down the stairs, expecting her to follow after. She'd always stayed close whenever it rained, it was as if he was an umbrella to her. He didn't mind it though, her presence gave him as much of piece of mind as he did to her. Although in all honesty he was coming to like the blonde quiet alot.

"Where were you?" she said curiously, following a few footsteps behind him.

"Job interview" he stated boredly. Placing his bag on the bed before disappearing to the bathroom to grab himself a towel to dry off.

"Did you get the job?" Cagalli said, a light hint of interest hiding behind her question. He entered the room to find the blonde leaning against the doorway, watching him intently.

"Yea, hired on the spot. I start in a week though" Athrun said, closely watching the blonde. Something didn't seem right here. She had one arm hidden behind her back, different from the usual arms crossed over her chest. He could always spot the smallest of changes in her behaviour. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?" she said, almost instantly averting her eyes from his own. She was definitely up to something.

"If I didn't know any better, you're hiding something" he said, slowly closing the distance between the two of them. The blonde took a defensive step back, pursing her lips at the statement. "You're hand?" It was just like a small kid trying to hide the truth from their parents, it was rather adorable. She withdrew her arm, holding it up for him to see. He'd guessed right. Athrun sighed at the discovery, her hand was bleeding. "How did this happen?"

"I may have fallen with a glass in my hand" the blonde said as she continued to stare down at the floor, her features showing nothing but shame. He ran a hand through his hair, brushing it from his face. He should've known this was bound to happen. It was a side effect of the rain, an intoxicating trance almost. She was slowly becoming increasingly more clumsy, clouded by the many thoughts the rain provoked. Up until this point it was just relatively minor injuries, scrapes and bruises from walking into things. This was the first time that blood had been drawn. She was really beginning to worry about him.

"Let me have a closer look at it" he said, pointing over towards the lamp. The blonde sighed as she made her way over to the bed, flopping down on it. She wasn't too happy about the situation either. He examined it closely as she held it under the light.

"You shouldn't need stitches, but you still have glass in it" Athrun said as he walked back into the bathroom before quickly returning with a small first aid kit. Cagalli was now laying on her back, staring at the ceiling deep in thought as he approached her.

"Your hand" he said, taking a seat beside her. She sighed once again, she didn't like being so helpless. She couldn't bring herself to tell Kira, he'd simply just make a big deal out it. Sure he was her brother, but there was no need to worry him. Luckily she had Athrun. He fumbled with the box as he tried to find the pair of tweezers, one hand obviously wasn't too productive as the other one gently held her own hand in place.

"They're in a black case" she said, as if to read his mind. Within seconds he found them, quickly extracting them . The blonde could see him carefully work out of the corner of her eyes from where she laid. Athrun was quite the guy, far different from when she first met him. He had a good brain on him. Not so much a people person much like herself, although he was always there if you needed him. "Ow!"

"Sorry, it was a bit deeper then I thought" he said softly, quickly applying some gauze to stop the bleeding. She frowned at the situation once again. Just the though of having nothing was enough to make her crumble like paper. She remembered he too had once been in the exact same place aswell. Although his senses had already returned, while hers were still trying to escape the all-consuming fog. The light hum of rain could be heard outside as it continued to pound away at the sides of the house. "What wrong?" the blue haired man said, noticing the change of expression. Always so quick to pick up on the slightest of change.

"How'd you do it" Cagalli said, using the uninjured hand to brush the stray hairs from her face. He tilted his head slightly in confusion at the vague question. "I mean, what made you change your mind all of a sudden back 'there'" He paused for a moment while he tried to understand what she was getting at.

"Oh, uh...I'm not too sure myself to be honest" he said, glancing down at her. The question kind of took him off guard, she wasn't usually this personal. "It just kind of happened. I'm sorry I can't really answer that too well"

"Go figure" she said with a loud exhale. It was one of those things that if it happened, it happened. Could be years at this rate. He could understand the frustration behind the question. Atleast she was smart enough to challenge the emotions, while he merely submitted to everything. Loosing himself in the whirl of emotion. A small chuckle escaped from him as he looked away in utter embarrassment.

"Sorry, I just wasn't expecting the question" Athrun said, once again resuming his work. Although he could see from his peripherals that she was still glaring. "Almost done" he promised as he continued to remove the small shards. The blonde face flushed red with embarrassment, it was kind of unlike her she had to admit. Then again he slipped too. That was the first time he smiled since she'd met him. Small subtle change were slowly happening, and they were slowly becoming more noticible. She pursed her lips at the thought. It would be best to stay quiet for now.

By the time Athrun dressed the wound the blonde was sound asleep. The lullaby of rain being incredibly intoxicating. He sighed in contentedness as he packed away the remains of the first aid kit. She looked so peaceful in her slumber. So free of the overshadowing past. Clicking the light off, he headed upstairs. Leaving Cagalli to sleep. Slowly he could really feel himself become more and more attached to her by the day. He sighed at the thought, he really liked her. Although she was dealing with more then enough at the moment. There was no need to complicate things for her any further.

XXX

Weeks passed by incredibly fast for Athrun as he slowly eased himself back into work. It started off easy enough in eight hour shifts but after his months probation, he got the full workload. Averaging 80 hours a week. Usually on shifts lasting as long as 36hours. It was pretty brutal to say the least, but it was a change that he welcomed. Sighing, he flopped down on his bed. Sleep would be great right about now. He was coming up on almost a full two days without sleep. The following 24hours were to himself and his bed. Closing his eyes, he let his mind drift. He wondered what the blonde had been up to the previous few days, hopefully all was well.

A loud thud was heard on the floor above him. He opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling above him. It was as if to see through it to see what happened. The blonde must of taken a tumble. The mere thought worried him. Although she was slowly getting better with the clumsiness over the last few weeks, there was still the occasional mishap. He looked over the clock, glowing in the rooms darkness.

4:53AM

His eye twitched at the new information. What was the blonde even doing up at this hour. It was probably best to go check on her. It would make for a good excuse to get caught up with her in the least. He slowly pushed himself upright, groggily swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Taking a moment to rub the tiredness from his eyes.

Another loud thud and a bone rattling shatter of glass was heard, followed by another softer thud shortly after. It honestly sounded like all hell was breaking loose upstairs. A surge of panic hit him, adrenaline instantly waking up every tired muscle. Before he knew it, he was on his feet, jumping the stairs four at a time. That didn't sound like someone falling at all. Something wasn't right.

"Cagalli!" he called, as he reached top of the stairs. The house was now eerily quiet, only adding to his anxiety. Shattered glass was scattered all over the kitchen floor, but the blonde was nowhere to be seen. There was not a sound to be heard aside from footsteps as he made his way room to room. "Cagalli!"

His call-out once again went unanswered, and it was obvious that there wasn't anyone on this level of the house. Making his way up the second flight of stairs he tried his luck once again. "Cagalli!" It was once again met with silence. He quickly checked the few remaining rooms. It was like she'd disappeared off the face of the earth. Darker thoughts loomed in the background of his mind. Did someone take her? They couldn't of possibly came back to tie up the loose end. It'd been months now, it seemed so unlikely. Yet the possibility was looking to be more and more likely as he checked the last remaining rooms. His heart throbbed against the inside of his chest, unable to manage itself in all the chaos. A small shadow could be seen coming from the bathroom. He slowed down his steps, cautiously approaching. Why wasn't she answering?

"Athrun, is that you?" came the blondes voice, as he reached the bathroom door. The sudden relief felt like it knocked all the air from his lungs. Although the panic subside it was soon replace with anger. No doubt the lack of sleep making him cranky.

"You can't answer?" he said, coming off rather upset.

"I didn't hear anything" she called from the other side of the door. The tap running loudly in the background. He sighed, just a scare. "Why are you so mad" It was obvious in the tone of voice. Athrun stayed silent, hiding behind the opposite side of the door in the darkness. That disappeared when the blonde opened the door, looking at him curiously. He'd panic at the thought of her disappearance. He cared so much for her. It was obvious that he was really beginning to fall for her. Calming down after this wasn't all too easy either. He was really upset at the needless worry.

"Yes you are" she said, taking another step forward so that mere inches was all the at separated them. She looked into his eyes, she knew something was up. The closeness created a growing tension between the two of them. Athrun looked back into her eyes, between everything that had happen he simply just wanted to hold her and never let her go. Never wanting to lose her. It didn't take much for him to worry about her. She was precious and he really didn't want to lose her. There were feelings, and he could do little to suppress them. Without thinking he leaned down, placing a single chaste kiss on her forehead. In the matter of half a second the bathroom door slammed shut, leaving him in the darkness of the hallway. It took him a second to take in just what happened. Just what did he do? He raised a hand to knock on the door, before pulling it back. How could he possibly explain any of this? His head pounded at the situation, he might have just destroyed the one good thing he had going for him.

"Shit" he murmured. Maybe it would best to actually think before doing anything further. He sighed again, deciding it would be best to retreat before he could do anymore damage. Retreating down the stairs, he stuck on his shoes. Fresh air would be great to clear his mind, sleep would be impossible in his current state. He closed the door softly behind him not wanting to draw any attention to himself. Hiding was the only thing he wanted to do.

The cool night air was an instant refresher for his tired self. It was still incredibly dark out. Although you could see the horizon glowing along the edges, it wasn't too long till sunrise. Athrun made his way down the street, pondering his thoughts as he went. He couldn't understand why he behaved that way. It was tempting to almost go back to work to sleep, he was scared to see the fallout of his actions.

She could kick him to curb, but it wasn't that thought that bothered him the most. He had lost the chance at ever learning more about the blonde, her mysterious behaviours. Her endless well of strength and decisiveness that were ever so slowly drawing him in. The loss opportunity stung in his chest. What he'd do just to be around her again, it seemed so impossible. Why couldn't he just of been patient? He just jumped from friendship to god know where in a single instant without thinking. There were so many better ways he could of gone about it.

Looking around him, he found himself standing in a small park. He made his way over to nearest bench, deciding to hide there until he could come up with the next plan of action. Things could never be simple. He tugged on the ends of his hair in frustration. Why? Why? Why? What the hell was he thinking. It all seemed so irrational of him, so unlike him. The lack of sleep must have been getting to him.

A loud crack of thunder rumbled above, as if to roar in anger at him. A moment later rain started to pour in buckets, drenching everything seconds. He sighed, nothing wanted to go right for him today.

"Perfect" he said, looking up up at the sky as if to glare it into submission. The weather only furthered him in his self pity. Another loud sigh, what to do now. He'd end up sick if he stayed out to long. Maybe he could sneak back in and grab his things and head off to work. He was such a coward, but he wanted to salvage what he could. So he'd deal with the situation after a good nights rest.

He slowly made his way back to the house, drenched to the bone as rain continued to pour mercilessly. His eyes were drawn to a large dark mass on top of stairs, that definitely wasn't there when he'd left earlier. Maybe some garbage got kicked up in the wind and landed there. Upon closer inspection it was someone oppose to something. Reaching the stop of the stairs he looked down at the blonde. He frowned at the sight, she was just as soaked as he was, her eyes seemingly lost behind a veil of confusion. Was she waiting for him? She laid motionlessly still in his presence.

"I-I'm so sor-"

"I'm crazy" she said softly, barely audible over the hum of rain. He raised an eyebrow, the blonde was so strange and yet so intriguing at same time. Though it made little sense to why she was out in such terrible weather.

"You should go inside" Athrun said, avoiding going into too much of a conversation with her. Space would be the best thing for both of them. Or so he thought.

"I thought I was just imagining things so I stayed quiet, but it's simply crazy" Cagalli said, now looking straight up at Athrun. She was expressionless, he couldn't tell what she was thinking. Angry. Sad. Happy. There was no telling. Just where was she going with this? Another loud clash of thunder rumbled overhead, as a single strike of lightning tore the sky in two. "I'm falling for my kidnapper. It's crazy. I can't even trust myself to do right thing and yet I trust you" she said softly, carefully choosing her words one by one. "I'm so broken. I can hardly make my own decisions and I don't even know if what I'm thinking right now is even coherent in all the confusion. I don't know what to do..."

"It's fine, there's no need to rush" Athrun said gently, her response wasn't one he expected. "I'm really sorry though. I'm probably not helping. I didn't mean too, I wasn't thinking..." he stuttered, he wasn't too sure what to say. There was so much running though his head. Another growl of thunder roared overhead. "We should go inside"

"You apologise alot" she said, once again ignoring what he was saying. He frowned, she wasn't addressing him at all now. "I'm not mad you know..." As if to address his thoughts.

"It's fine. There's time, no need to rush" he said softly. Maybe things weren't so bad after-all. He could wait, it could be salvaged as long as he had patience. Which shouldn't be a problem. A huge weight felt like it'd been lifted off his shoulders. He still had a chance, a home. Someone. "Cmon, lets get out of the rain" holding out a hand for her. She looked at it for a moment, before reaching to grab it. In one graceful movement he pulled her to her feet. He could see her watch him from the corner of his eye, almost as if she was evaluating him.

"Stop apologising so much" she said frowning, it was apparent that it bothered her. Out of everything that had happened in the last few hours, it was that what she was most upset about. She walked past him swinging open the door before pausing for a brief moment. He tilted his head in confusion, what else did she have to say?

"Your hand" she said, jerking her head in the direction. He had yet to let go.

"Oh... Sor-.." he caught himself before he said it. Immediately releasing her hand, his returning limply to his side.

"Oh and Athrun" she said pausing once again. "I appreciate it, everything really. Thank you" A small smile accompanied her words. Without another word she was gone, leaving him amongst the pouring rain as everything she said sunk in. He couldn't help but laugh. After everything that had happened it ended completely different from how he imagined. The blonde once again surprised him, just as unpredictable as ever. He was intrigued by her in so many ways and it was that mystique that continued to draw him in. He ran a hand through his hair, slicking it back out of his face. All he had to do was wait.

XXX

Another month passed and Athrun found himself being ever so tormented by the growing feelings. Even though he worked 80hour weeks, it did little to ease the growing uneasiness. It was becoming torturous to him now, waiting was becoming increasing harder by the day. It wouldn't be so hard if he didn't have to see her in his every spare moment outside of work.

He sighed at the dilemma. Even after a 36hour shift he laid wide awake as his brain continued to whirl in uncontemptment. There had to be a way to make it stop. Who would have known being patient was so difficult. As much as she was slowly recovering, he would wait for her to make the first move. Anything else seem to be overly forceful on his part. He looked up at the ceiling upon hearing the light thud of footsteps above him. Cagalli must of just gotten home. She was out earlier when he returned home. He rolled over on his side, glancing at the clock. 7:36PM.

His stomach growled as he rolled back over on the bed. Maybe some food would help ease his chaotic state of his mind. Rhythmatic thumps were heard as the blonde came downstairs. He could see through the open door as she juggled the basket of dirty clothes and detergents at the end of the hallway.

"Your still up?" she called from where she stood, noticing that the light was still on.

"Yeup" he said, disappointment very apparent in his tone. Oh how he would like to hide in crevasse of slumberland. He was constantly tired. His brain never seemed to calm down enough to get a good nights rest. Even when he could sleep, it never seem to be enough.

"I was thinking of ordering out, you hungry?" she said as she slammed the washer door shut. Athrun pulled himself upright, weighing the option. It was so odd, it was like they were roomates. Torturous, inescapable of everything. The friendzone as they called it, truly a terrible thing. His mouth dropped as a sudden thought hit him. Maybe he could ease the feelings, and give her some of the space without burdening her.

"Actually, I want to talk to you" he said, jumping to his feet.

"What is it?" she said, now leaning against the doorway watching him intently. She was interested in what he had to say.

"I'm moving out"

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><p>There it is! So much easier to write when you have so much thinking time (long flights ftw). Speaking of which, one of the flights was in the middle of the night and it was f-king amazing. The clouds get really iridescent so they glow, and the sky is dark with like thousands of stars. So it felt like you were just gliding over water in some magical place. It was really something, totally something I didn't see before (blame city life, har har).<p>

BUTTT back to the story. BA-BA-BA-DUNNN... /dramatic music. Crushing all your hopes.

Until the next chapter, peace! (Might be a bit longer then the usual two days as I got school work to get caught up on. But you never know. Will be out by Wednes at the latest)


	12. Chapter 12

OMG last chapter RAWRRRR... sorry for the lateness. School killed me a bit more then I thought it would. Then after that I ended up in alot of pain to the point I couldn't sit or even concentrate enough to write. Soo yea... took a while. Anyway's without further a due. Le finale! Enjoy!

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><p>Torment<p>

Chapter Eleven Finale

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><p>The door closed behind Athrun with a loud click as he continued to walk straight to his bedroom. He immediately flopped down on the bed, still wearing his outside shoes. The walking dead was exactly how he felt at the moment. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd been in his own bed. Work was brutal right now. They had a shortage of staff. Making the hospital his temporary home, usually sleeping there whenever he could.<p>

It was months now since he'd move out and all was going smoothly. Of course the blonde stopped by on the odd occasion, whenever she was out for a meeting. His feelings were manageable. Cagalli was the same as ever, if not better. Slowly becoming less reliant him, handling the change fairly well. He would continue to give her the space she needed.

He rolled over onto his back, tugging off his shirt in the process. Kicking off his shoes soon after, before crawling under his covers. That was as close as he was getting ready for bed as he was going to get. Tiredness tugged on the corners of his eyes, trying there hardest to pull him into the darkness. Between all the work, he had little time to mull over his feelings. There was hope. He sighed, not even the bothersome emotions of possible rejection could keep him from being drawn into the slumber.

Hours later, a loud knocking stirred him from his deep sleep. He opened one eye, glancing at the digital clock glowing on the table beside him.

2:43AM

Who in world was here at this hour? He pulled a pillow over his head, ignoring the constant banging. There was no way he was getting up at this hour. Another knock was heard, louder and more frantic then the one previous. Why were they so persistent, couldn't they just come back in the morning? He groaned in annoyance as he pushed himself upright. Groggily making his way to feet as he switched on his table side lamp. Of all the days, why now for Pete's sake? Twisting the lock, he cracked the door. Rubbing the tiredness from his eyes with the other hand. Looking forward, there was nothing there. Go figure. Attempting to close the door, it stopped halfway. Something blocking it.

"What...takes.. you so long... to answer... the damn door" Cagalli panted between breathes. She was doubled over, trying her best to get the much needed oxygen into her lungs.

"What happened, did you run here?" he said in pure amazement. "You do know what time it is right?" yawning at the thought.

"I... don't go. I mean..You. I want" the blonde fumbled through her words, trying to make sense of it all. She straightened out her posture, now looking at him. "I don't know how to say this at all" Athrun stood there for a moment in disbelief. He had to be dreaming.

"Cag...galli" he said, his mouth hanging as he tried to think.

"Athrun, I'm saying yes" she said, her words were filled with confidence. A look of utter determination showing in her eyes. There wasn't a single doubt in her mind. A sudden draft sent a shiver down his spine. It hit him them that he was far from dressed, currently shirtless. In the veil of sleep he could hardly grasp anything that was going on around him. He must have looked like a complete idiot as he stood there with his jaw hanging.

"Where am I going?" Athrun he managed at last. It seemed like everything was happening in slow motion.

"Don't go, don't leave" the blonde said, wrapping her arms around him as if to prevent him. Just what was she talking about? The contact once again sent shivers running down his back. He wrapped his arms unknowingly around her in return. Did she think he'd change his mind about her?

"I'm not going ... anywhere?" he said in utter confusion. His brain grasping at the straws one at a time. Unable to shake the sleep that was still ever so much drawing him in. "Come in, it's chilly out here" Ushering them both inside. It was silly to have conversation in a hallway where everyone could hear. Even if it was the middle of the night.

He took a quick moment to run and grab himself a shirt. Digging through the last remainders of clean clothes he had, not having much time to do laundry. He pulled it on in a matter of mere seconds before quickly heading out to join the blonde in the living room. He didn't make it far when there was a soft buzzing noise. He immediately sighed. He hoped it wasn't what he thought it was. Grabbing his bag he sifted through the contents until he extracted his pager. The must have of all doctors to ensure he's reachable at all times. Of all the times, it just had to be now. He glared at the small object wishing it to take back its call.

"Have to go?" came the blonde's voice. He looked back towards the doorway finding her crossed arm, leaning against it. A look of pure guilt couldn't be help. He frowned at the situation, hopefully she'd understand.

"One of my patients coded and he needs to go back in for surgery soon as possible" he said with a sigh. The predicament at hand was waking him up now, anger forcing the blood to pump furiously.

"Shouldn't you be heading out then? You're wasting time" she said bluntly Jerking her head towards the door as if to say get moving. Time was of the essence right now, and he was standing here dumbfounded. He loved that the most about her. She was understandable of everything, rational to the very end. It was quite the rare trait. Without anymore wasted time, he slung on his shoes and jacket. Sticking his bag back together before shouldering it.

"I'm really sorry about this..." he said pausing in front of her."Feel free to stay here, I'll be back as soon as possible. Shouldn't be more than a few hours" The blonde watched him curiously, not angry in the slightest. There was an unknown tension between the both of them, something that'd always been there for as long as he could remember. The occasional glance at one another, it was almost soothing for both of them. Always there for one another. "Thank you" he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. A warm smile followed. The news was slowly beginning to sink in now. Giving an almost bubbly sense of happiness.

"We'll talk about this after" she said, returning the small smile. Cagalli could tell from his gestures he was disappointed. In fact, it was surprising how little needed to be said to understand. She followed him to the door, giving a quick wave as he disappeared down the hall. Hopefully things would be quick. Excitement was slowly getting the better of him. He got his chance.

XXX

Athrun sighed as he shouldered his bag. No matter how much coffee he drank, the tiredness was coming increasingly persistent. The front doors of the hospital opened with a mechanical hiss as he approached them. The outside cool air hitting him like a gentle caress after a hard day's work. By now the sun was warming up the sky, causing various hues of yellows and orange to melt away at the darkness. His eyes landed on the blonde who was patiently sitting on a bench a small distance away. She sat there, gazing up at the sky, not even aware he was there.

"Waiting long?" he said, approaching ever so slowly. Careful not to startle her.

"Not long" she said softly, continuing to watch the colors melt and swirl above her. So at peace with everything around her.

"You hungry? We can go grab something to eat if you want" Athrun said. It was early morning now, breakfast wouldn't be a bad idea. She didn't respond, merely continuing to take in her surroundings. "Or we can stay here" he chuckled at her peculiar behavior.

"Nah, let's go" she said, suddenly jumping to her feet. Cagalli took the lead, leaving him to follow. Always staying a few paces ahead. He could tell she was deep in thought as he trailed along behind her. They hadn't made it far when raindrops begin to fall one by one. It didn't take long before it was a full out downpour, soaking everything in seconds. The blonde stopped abruptly in her steps. He stopped soon after, silently questioning the behavior. Did rain still provoke her?

"Cagalli?" he said, taking a step forward. Reaching to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. He withdrew it as she spun around, facing him. Athrun couldn't understand the expression. She stared silently into his eyes as if something was bugging her. She took a step forward, now within breathes range of him. In the blink of an eye, she had both hands cupping his cheeks, pulling him closer. Their lips met with an electrifying zap. It took Athrun a second to realize what had happened, merely stunned to the very spot. When things finally clicked, his arms found their way around the blonde, pulling her closer. Deepening the kiss. When they broke apart there was only the pitter patter of rain of the background. Both didn't know what to say. Nurturing warmth pulsing within both of them.

"I thought you didn't like the rain" Athrun managed to say, still in a dazed from the unexpected. Here they stood in it for what seemed to be forever, time passing by ever so slowly. She laughed at the comment.

"I think I've decided to like it now" she said, brushing her soaking wet fair from her face. She was smiling and that fact made him smile in return.

"And why's that" it seemed like such an odd thing to change. It was understandable to dislike after what she'd been through but now like it? It was odd.

"Because it gave me back so much more then my brother. It gave me someone I don't want to be without" Cagalli said, tilting her head to look at the ground. "I don't know how everything ended up this way but... you. I don't want to be without you" said softly, unknowingly clinging to his arms as if to prevent his escape. He pulled her closer, embracing her tightly.  
>"It's okay, I'm not going anywhere" Athrun said, continuing to hold her close. He felt the same way. Crazy as it sounded, he was happy at where it ended up.<p>

XXX

Athrun sighed as he looked up at the ceiling. His head was splitting in agonizing pain. He sat upright, causing the bed to squeak under the shifted weight as he heard the front door creak open.

"Cagalli?" he called as he jumped to his feet.

"Your home early today... I brought dinner home" she yelled back.

"What did you tell Kira?" he said, hiding behind the doorway, he couldn't face her right now.

"Why do you ask" she said, walking towards the sound of his voice.

"Because he showed up at work" he frowned as she entered the room. Her mouth dropping at the sight of him.

"What happened?" she said, rushing to his side.

"Compliments from your brother" he said, reaching to shield the shiner (blackeye).

"You're kidding me" she said in disbelief, raising a hand to tend to it.

"You couldn't give me a warning?" He pouted as he flopped back onto the bed.

"I didn't expect- I mean …he shouldn't of, I'm sorry" she stuttered, running into the washroom to get a cool wet cloth for it.

"Oh, I'm not saying he shouldn't of, he had all right to"

"Whats that suppose to mean" she said, cutting him off mid sentence.

"I mean, I kind of kidnapped you" he said, pressing the cloth to his eye.

"So" Cagalli said stubbornly, taking a seat beside him.

"Okay, so if I were to kidnap him there wouldn't be a problem" Athrun said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd kill you" she said with a serious face. Bursting out in laughter shortly after. "I'm sorry" the blonde said as she leaned over him, planting a light kiss on his forehead. He smiled at the touch, feeling the pain melt away.

"Thank you for giving me a chance" he said, using and arm to pull her just a bit lower for a proper kiss."You're the best"

* * *

><p>Tah done! For those of you confused about the ending Cagalli went and told Kira they were together. Kira got mad :X Hahaha.<p>

I hoped you enjoyed, much thanks for reading! I had alot of fun writing this fic.

Another thanks for those reviewing and offering idea's along the way. It means so much to me. Until next time! Seeya


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